Into the Other World
by sailorsenshi7
Summary: *****KLAROLINE***** Caroline is human and on the run from a life of servitude to the Mikaelson family. She soon finds herself captured and by their side, catching the eye of Klaus, the most dangerous and irrational of them all. *takes place in Mystic Falls with most of the Vampire Diaries cast*
1. Chapter 1

She'd been running in fear for hours. Tree branches had scraped and torn at her skin and clothing, more than one root had caused her to stumble and fall, ripping her palms and had short whimpers leaving her throat before she was up and running yet again, her lungs burning, legs aching as she moved further and further away from her family home. A part of her urged her to just stop, to give up. She was going to be punished more severely than last time for running away so close to the date if she were to be caught. If she just turned around and went back home, maybe it would be a less harsh beating. If her aunt and uncle even dared to beat her now. They would most likely be too afraid of marring her skin so close to the arrival of the Originals.

The Originals.

Caroline's legs pushed her even further away from her house, her heart pumping so furiously she was sure it would explode from her chest cavity if she continued for much longer. She knew logically she needed to stop and take a break from her running, but just thinking about the Original clan was more than enough to send her body into flight mode, fleeing the present danger of the new predator. They were all monsters, every single one of them. Her aunt and uncle might even have been even worse monsters for selling her to them as if she was worth nothing more than a loaf of bread. Maybe she wasn't to the people who had raised her, but Caroline felt more highly of herself than that. She was nearly nineteen, she was supposed to be going back to college in a few short weeks, not catering to the vampire family that pretty much ruled over most of the United States. Granted, not too many humans were aware of their existence, but Caroline's family had been well aware of what lurked in the night since the 1800s when vampires and witches first came to Mystic Falls. Caroline's family had been dedicated to fighting them off, keeping them from praying on the human population in the town, until her parents had died and the mantle was passed down to Caroline's aunt and uncle.

In fact, it was their love, and fear, of the Original family that got Caroline into the current mess she was in. Caroline's aunt Sophie was practically in love with the vampire called Cole, who was as sadistic as her, and had vowed to give his family a piece of herself. By that, she meant Caroline, whom she sold to them and told them to do whatever they wanted with. Caroline had been mortified with Sophie but angry with her uncle David for letting the current predicament happen. Why didn't they love her?

A tear rolled down Caroline's cheek and as a soft sob left her throat her body stilled before she sank to the ground, uncaring if bugs and creepy crawlers moved over her body. None of that was a pressing concern for her at the moment. She used a torn hand to wipe the tears from her face, barely noticing as the tears burned the cuts along her skin. Even as she felt more tears welling up inside of her, Caroline scolded herself for crying. What point was there in weeping over those people she once called family? There wasn't. They'd never been kind to her, sometimes even resorting to physical violence to keep her in line. They didn't deserve her tears or her heartache. The only thing they deserved was her wrath, but Caroline was too genuine of a person to ever try and harm someone else, physically or emotionally.

Steeling her emotions, Caroline dug her palms into the rich dirt, pushing herself off of the ground and dusting herself off slightly. She grimaced when she noticed her dirt caked hands had instead pressed dirt and drying blood into her torn jeans. Even her shirt was slight torn and bloody from hours of trekking through the woods. At least her Converse were alright, although she would have killed for some actual tennis shoes. Not that it mattered. Soon enough she would be in the next town over and she could hitch a ride with someone to a bus stop. She had about $80 in her pocket which she planned on using to get as far from this hell hole as possible.

A growl started in Caroline's stomach, causing her face to turn a delicate shade of pink before she shrugged off the backpack she'd had on moments before. Unzipping it, Caroline was careful not to touch any of the clothing she'd taken with her and instead found a Clif bar. Zipping her bag back up, Caroline ripped open the wrapper, practically shoving half of the bar into her mouth, taking a few quick chops before choking it down. Finishing the rest of the energy bar, Caroline shoved the wrapper into a side pocket of her backpack before slinging it back over her shoulders and turning in the direction she'd been heading in all along.

Thinking back to her measly $80, Caroline reprimanded herself for not draining her bank account at an ATM before running away. She didn't have much in that account, but it would have helped her a lot more than $80. Maybe if they had an ATM at the bus station she could use her card one last time to withdraw money, but the idea made her nervous.

Caroline walked further and further as she thought, taking time to rest her aching body as she moved slowly through the woods.

How fast could they track her debit card to her if she used it once at a bus station? It's not like she would be using it to purchase a ticket, so maybe they wouldn't find out where she was going. Maybe the Originals wouldn't even care that she ran away and wouldn't even bother looking for her. That was always a comforting thought. Caroline might have been more inclined to believe it if they Original family hadn't already forked over the money for her servitude. Hell, Caroline should have stolen some of that from her aunt's fat fingers while she'd been sleeping. But the odds of her waking up and having David chase Caroline down as she escaped had been too high, so she had left with as little as possible.

All Caroline had learned from vampires began with the Original family, which was why they were commonly referred to as 'The Originals' as opposed to their actual last name, which was the Mikaelson's. As far as Caroline knew, they were the very first of the vampire race, created by their witch mother, who cast some sort of creepy spell on them to make them live forever. Unfortunately for them, it had side affects. Like bloodlust, inability to be in the sunlight and so forth. This also caused them to turn more humans into vampires like themselves, they had witches create trinkets that allowed them to walk in the sunlight and they had super speed, strength, agility, blah, blah. They were all over a thousand years old, but they looked the age they did when they were turned into vampires. At least that's what Caroline heard, considering she'd never met them. She'd only heard the horror stories her aunt told her as well as what Caroline read in the family journals.

Each description of the vampires in the journals came complete with pictures, although Caroline never studied them much. The descriptions were enough to give her nightmares. The last thing she wanted to do was place a face with the names, especially when it came to Niklaus Mikaelson. The journal entries of him were by far the worst. Although his brother Cole was a cruel and evil vampire, what she'd heard of Niklaus was far more worse and diabolical. He trusted no one, tortured and killed for sport, killed for anything really, would destroy anyone who crossed him even in the slightest, including his family.

Although it was said the Originals were impossible to kill, Caroline had it on good authority that Niklaus would insert special daggers into his siblings hearts if they angered him, causing them to sleep however long Niklaus saw fit, sometimes for decades or even centuries until his anger was sated. Caroline couldn't think of anything more cruel and _she'd_ essentially been sold as a slave to a bunch of bloodsuckers by her closest family.

Letting the food settle in Caroline's stomach only proved to do one thing; it made her exhausted. As the fatigue set in all Caroline wanted to do was curl into a ball on the floor and fall asleep. The sun was already beginning to set, which let her know she'd been on the run for at least ten hours. In fact, Sophie and David had probably already met with the Originals and something horrible had most likely happened to them before the Originals went about their business elsewhere.

The more the sun sank from view and the world around her darkened into night, Caroline was more and more sure she would escape intact and be able to start a new life somewhere far from Mystic Falls and the dark world of vampires.

Caroline was so lost in thought she smacked right into a solid object, stumbling back in the hopes of orienting herself. Looking straight ahead, Caroline was baffled to find she had literally run into a man while traipsing through the woods. And what a man he was. The first thing Caroline noticed about him was that he was gorgeous. He was tall with a lean frame, his eyes were a dreamy bluish green, his short hair was dirty blond and with his facial hair and the smirk he had on his face, he looked positively devilish.

"Oh wow, I'm so sorry! I didn't think anyone else was out here, otherwise I would have been paying more attention." His smirk deepened even more as her face reddened with embarrassment.

"Don't be embarrassed, love. Accidents happen. Now what's a lovely thing like you doing out here in the deep, dark woods so late at night?"

Caroline shivered at his tone and the way his eyes deepened as he look directly at her, almost as if wanting her to spill all of her secrets.

"I'm just... Uh, out for a leisurely stroll. I actually just separated from the rest of the group I'm traveling with, so I should probably get back." She took a cautious step backward before her curiosity got the best of her. " 'What's a lovely thing like you doing out here in the deep, dark woods so late at night?'" She repeated the words back to him with the same hint of menace he'd delivered. If he was trying to creep her out, then two could play at that game.

"Hunting. Isn't that how most people come to find themselves wandering about in the middle of the woods?" The man stepped closer until Caroline could once again watch as his eyes seemed to pierce straight into her soul. He was so close Caroline immediately knew he was lying to her. He wasn't dressed for any sort of hunting and she didn't notice a weapon of any sort on his body or around him.

"That's some odd attire for hunting. Leather pants? Are you planning to rave the animals to death?" The smirk died on his face and for a second all Caroline could see was that the man standing in front of her was death coming to claim her. The chill worked its way down her spine until her entire body was shaking in fear. She knew this man, this monster.

"First you mock me then you grow fearful of me. How interesting." He stood still with his hands together behind his back, but somehow he was a few feet closer to her.

Caroline shrank back yet again, stumbling over one of those cursed roots and falling backwards, flailing her arms as she fell.

Before she plummeted to the ground, strong arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her back to a standing position. Caroline struggled to move away from the man holding her, pushing her bruised palms to his chest and shoving with all her might, hoping to dislodge herself from his embrace. He merely smirked again, this time bringing his mouth to her left ear and whispering, "Do you know who I am?" Caroline whimpered as he nuzzled her neck for a moment before pulling his face away, shivering as the heat from his body warmed her, even while the wind at her back chilled her to the core.

"You're Klaus." The words were pulled from her lips almost as if being forced by something supernatural. Caroline's blue eyes clashed with his, her pulse jumping erratically every time they made even the slightest eye contact. She jerked her gaze away, remembering that any vampire could use compulsion on humans to bend their will. She could only imagine how much more power he had than regular vampires.

"Not many people, especially humans, have the nerve to give me nicknames." Caroline's face blanched, realizing what she had done. Was he going to rip her throat out? Snap her neck? Tear her limbs from her body? Everything she had read about the Original came back ten fold, descriptions flashing through her mind as rapidly as possible. Klaus smiled at her, shattering the devilish impression Caroline had glimpsed of him only minutes before. "You're bold. I think I might quite enjoy that."

Before Caroline had a chance to freak out even more, the Original Niklaus grabbed her shoulders, placing her directly in front of him. As she stared into his eyes, she watched as his pupils dilated. "You will forget your fear and follow me willingly back to the mansion which will be your new home while we are here in Mystic Falls."

Caroline scoffed, jerking her shoulders out of his wicked embrace. "Are you serious? I can't just flip my fear on and off like that! And you are out of your mind if you think I'm just going to 'willingly' prance back to your house like a dog chasing after its master." Klaus's eyes hardened at her words and Caroline mentally kicked herself. Why did she have to be so obnoxious? She was literally looking at someone who could snap her in half in about a second and not even blink.

"What did you say?"

Caroline didn't bother to answer. Instead, the tone of his voice sent her running in the opposite direction. She must have dropped her backpack earlier when they met because nothing weighed her down as she ran in the darkness, maneuvering in-between trees and bushes.

Caroline barely made it into a clearing before an arm stuck out from nowhere, forcing her to collide into it with her chest. The arm didn't budge an inch and Caroline fell back on to the harsh ground, whimpering from the impact. She wasn't sure, but a fire seem to spread along her ribs, ripping a small cry from her throat when she tried to move.

Klaus was upon her a second later, yanking her upper body up from the floor and ignoring her alarmed wail when her ribs moved. He stared at her again, his pupils dilating. "You will submit yourself into my care, into my control. You will obey me. Do you understand?" Caroline remained silent, eyes filled with pain. "Answer me!" Klaus shouted at the young blond, shaking her shoulders hard.

"Please," Caroline winced. "You're hurting me. I'll come with you, just please stop hurting me." Her tone sounded broken and pathetic, even to her own ears but something in the way she spoke to him caused a confused expression to cross his face.

"How can you ignore my compulsion? What witchcraft is this? You will answer me." Her eyes widened, locking with his.

"You've been trying to compel me? I didn't think humans could withstand any kind of compulsion."

Klaus kneeled down on the ground with Caroline, placing his face less than an inch away from hers. It was meant to be intimidating as he dug his nails into her shoulders and perhaps it would have frightened her if she wasn't already as perplexed as he was.

"Answer me!"

Caroline gulped. "I don't know how I'm doing it. I swear."

Klaus stood abruptly, dropping his hands away from Caroline's shoulders. Straightening his jacket, Klaus turned his head slightly to the left as he stepped back to allow the blond some room. "Glad you could join us, Elijah." Caroline followed Klaus's gaze, eyes coming across a tall, handsome man in a tailored navy blue business suit standing casually in the woods, almost as if he had always been there.

Caroline stood up from the ground slowly, holding her arm lifeless along her injured side. Elijah, the eldest brother, stepped in her general direction. She jerked backward, wincing when her arm jostled along her side. She definitely broke at least a few ribs when she ran into Klaus's arm. What were vampires made out of? Stone? She eyes both brothers warily, assessing the new threat she had just come across. Klaus seemed like an ass, but he hadn't intentionally hurt her in any way, which was always positive. She didn't remember really reading anything about the brother Elijah, only that he was the eldest of the siblings. She wasn't going to trust him, even if he did seem well mannered and helpful.

Elijah looked her up and down, a frown marring his features as he took in her bloody appearance. She wanted to roll her eyes at the look of concern. Surely he wasn't actually bothered that she had been injured several times over in her need to flee the Originals. "I expected you to be more polite to our guest, brother. Not torture the poor girl." He shook his head, stepping forward until Caroline found herself standing in between the two brothers. The moonlight shining down on the trio did nothing to sooth Caroline's nerves. In fact, the brothers looked all the more menacing as parts of their faces were hidden in shadow. Elijah stepped closer. Caroline faced him and moved back until she found herself pressed against Klaus, who must have come closer to her to stop her movement. His hands locked around her shoulders, one arm coming in front of her, his wrist near her mouth. She noticed a deep bloody line along his vein. The blood dripped on the bare part of her chest that was exposed from her grey v-neck t-shirt.

"I'm afraid you must drink, love. We can't have any broken bones slowing us down on our journey back to the mansion." Caroline jerked her head away from his wrist, revulsion making her want to dry heave. She had to have been mistaken. Drink his blood? Was he out of his mind?

Probably, Caroline thought. The journals didn't really paint a picture of sanity when it came to Niklaus Mikaelson. Caroline moved her head until it was practically nestled into the crook of his neck, hoping her mouth's temporary hiding place would save her from such a brutal task. There was no way she could drink someone's blood. It was the most abhorrent thing she could think about.

"Please. I can't drink blood. I'm not like you, that sounds absolutely disgusting to me. Don't make me do it. I'll come back with you both, I swear. Then when we're back to town I can have a doctor look at it. I'm sure it's nothing."

Elijah cleared his throat, causing the blond pair to turn their direction to the other vampire. "I hate to interrupt, but we do this for your own good, Ms. Forbes. You might have been too startled to realize this, but your breathing has been increasingly more labored in the past few minutes. It's safe to assume that when you broke one or more of your ribs, the bones might have punctured your lung. If you don't drink my brother's blood then you'll most have a collapsed lung before we can get you safely to a hospital."

"Elijah speaks the truth. You must drink." Klaus turned the blond slowly until they faced each other. "Go find the others, brother. I'll bring the girl back home safely."

"Niklaus..." Elijah hesitated.

"Not a scratch on her, I promise brother. Now go."

Caroline heard a faint whooshing noise and then the two were alone together in the woods.

"We both know I can't compel you to drink, love. However, I can force you to drink my blood one way or another. Shall we do this the easy way or the hard way?"

"I'm really dying?" Caroline wheezed out, cringing at how labored her breathing was becoming. How had she not realized that before? Stone. Clearly vampires were made out of stone.

Klaus's eyes softened for a moment before his normal condescending expression fell back into place. "Yes. Now drink." Klaus bit into his wrist, creating a wound she could drink from. He pulled his wrist away from his mouth and placed it in front of hers. Caroline looked at him, noticing the smeared blood along his not to notice his bloody wrist, she bent her head slightly, eyes making contact with his before she squeezed them shut and clamped her mouth down.

* * *

Caroline trudged behind the Original vampire Klaus, her backpack once again strapped around her shoulders.

Surprisingly, Caroline felt amazing. Well, her mouth tasted like dull copper, which was kind of gross because she now knew what blood tasted like, but everything else felt great. Her cuts had all healed, her ribs felt fine, she was breathing normally and all of her achy muscles had vanished into thin air. Caroline Forbes was ready to take on the entire world and win. She probably could have arm wrestled a bear and kicked its ass. She couldn't believe vampire blood did that.

Not one for long drawn out silences, Caroline spoke up. "So... Does all vampire blood work like that, or is yours some sort of super blood because you're like a billion years old?"

She heard him snort. "We really need to adjust your perception of time since you're going to be around vampires the rest of your life." Caroline shuddered at the thought but kept moving along. The last time she ran she was clotheslined and nearly died. She figured she'd save her strength for the evening before she tried again. "But I imagine since my blood is the most pure, " she rolled her eyes at his tone, "it has helped you far more than any normal vampire blood would do. The affects won't last more than 48 hours, just enough for the blood to leave your system. Then you should feel like yourself again."

The two turned right, cutting through a thick group of trees before they came across a clearing. About half a mile in front of them was a giant house, easily spotted from where they stood.

"Oh wow." Caroline murmured under her breath, completely taken aback by the beauty of the place. The fact that she could see it so clearly at night was another side effect of the vampire blood, she was sure.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" She nodded, although she doubted he noticed. "Come now, we must be going if we plan to make it before daylight."

Caroline trudged along behind Klaus, in awe of her surroundings until her mind finally caught up with his words.

They were almost to her prison. Elijah had called her a guest though, right? Caroline shook her head, a wave of dread coming over her as they drew closer and closer to the old plantation house. She'd come across her first vampires today and survived. They'd already forced vampire blood down her throat, even if it was to save her, and now she was expected to spend the rest of her life with these people. These things.

What other horrors would await her in the coming future?


	2. Chapter 2

**I just wanted to thank everyone for the positive reviews on this new story! I was hoping it would start off on a good note and I really hope you all enjoy this next chapter!**

**Don't forget to let me know what you think of the story so far and if there are any plot holes! I don't want to miss any details :)****  
**

* * *

Caroline was shown to her room by a man, probably a vampire, she had never seen before. The polite thing to do would have been to ask his name, but Caroline wasn't feeling too polite, even if she_ had_ been Ms. Mystic Falls the previous year. Instead, she had shut the door in his face, not allowing him entry into her temporary safe haven. And it would be temporary. Caroline was definitely keeping her promise to herself; she would leave Mystic Falls and start a new life somewhere. Anywhere.

Anything would be better than living a life dedicated to vampires.

Besides, hadn't she always wanted to see the world? She'd never lived outside of Mystic Falls, maybe now was the time to flee. To explore the world, to truly live a life free from fear and sadness. Wasn't that what she had always wanted? Caroline sighed. The images she was painting in her mind were wonderful and hopefully they would one day become a reality.

Caroline set her dirty backpack onto the floor next to the luxurious four poster bed. It had to have been a queen size and it was nearly as tall as Caroline herself, no doubt due to the huge amount of silk covering the mattress. Deep crimson lace hung from the canopy top, giving the bed itself a bit of privacy although Caroline was sure it was to keep out the sunlight from intruding on one's sleep. She'd never had a canopy bed before, although she'd always been envious of some of her friends on the cheer squad in high school who had them. Not that she would ever admit it to anyone other than herself. Feeling jealous was petty and she had an image of near perfection to maintain around town. It was one of the ways she tried to honor the memory of her long dead parents.

Turning away from the bed and the thoughts of her parents, Caroline studied the rest of the room. Old fashioned wallpaper covered the walls, making the room appear even larger than it already was. Gold trim enveloped the baseboards. She walked over to a desk and chair, noticing both were flecked with gold and the underneath was painted black. Most of the room was draped in gold, black and crimson. Almost like something out of a vampire erotica novel. The thought made Caroline snort.

Noticing what had to be a closet door, Caroline moved in that direction, grabbing her backpack along the way. She might as well hang up a few clothing items. The neat freak in her was practically cringing at how badly her clothing was no doubt wrinkled in that bag. Ripping open the closet door, Caroline's mouth hung open in awe, the backpack falling from her useless fingers and onto the hardwood floor.

The closet was filled with all kinds of attire, practically stuffed to the brim with designer clothing, bags, shoes, scarves. It was even all arranged by color, just the way Caroline organized her own closet back home. She reached in, determined to pull out a beautiful blue gown that had caught her eye. Seeing the blood and dirt on her fingers, Caroline jerked her hand away, afraid of ruining the clothing in her room. Taking a few steps back, Caroline's legs abruptly gave out, causing her to plop down onto the hardwood floor like a rag doll, just staring at the closet in shock.

Was she in the right room? Surely that closet wasn't full of clothing for her. It couldn't be. No, it wasn't. Definitely not. It was probably just the spare closet for the only Mikaelson sister that lived with Klaus and Elijah. Rebekah Mikaelson probably had loads of clothing stashed all throughout the mansion. She probably liked everything to be color coordinated just as Caroline did. It was normal for people to keep their clothing nice and orderly, wasn't it? Besides, who DIDN'T color coordinate all of their clothes? Completely normal. Yes, that had to be it. Servants didn't get designer clothing from their masters.

Caroline grimaced at the term 'masters' as soon as it popped into her head. She glanced at the beautiful wardrobe once more before steeling her resolve. Thinking back on it now, she would have been pissed if she actually thought those clothes were for her. She wasn't someone to be bought off. Would they really think a few cute clothes, okay extremely cute clothes, would be enough for her to bow down and fawn all over the family? Of course they didn't, which was why those clothes didn't belong to her, Caroline Forbes.

Standing, Caroline made her way to another door located on the opposite wall of the closet, turning the brass knob and slowly pushing the door open. The room in front of her was pitch black. Squinting her eyes, Caroline didn't notice anything at all, which meant either her temporary super eye sight was wearing off more quickly than anticipated, or that if no light was showing in a pitch black room, she still wouldn't see anything. Good to know.

Fumbling along one of the walls inside the room, Caroline blinked rapidly when the lights flashed on. It took her eyes a few moments to adjust, but when they did she gave a small shriek of delight.

It was a bathroom! Once again, it was showered in gold, but Caroline barely paid attention to any of that. There was a shower AND a claw footed tub. The counter space was massive and Caroline immediately regretted not taking her arsenal of make up and beauty supplies with her on her journey. She had only grabbed the bare minimum, which to be honest, was a nightmare for her. How could she expect to style her hair in different ways if she only had one brush? It was practically impossible.

Coming to stand in front of the bathroom sink, Caroline shrieked again, but for another reason entirely now.

Catching a good look at herself in the bathroom mirror, Caroline decided she looked terrible. Beyond terrible. She looked worse than gross, and Caroline had never allowed herself to look less than perfect in front of anyone before and now there were two men who had seen her at her worst. She felt mortified, even if they were vampires, they were still people and she had been caught looking awful. She had dried blood all over nearly every inch of her exposed skin, most of it was hers from the cuts she'd sustained hours earlier, but some of it was definitely Klaus's blood. She had a vampire's blood on her body. How unsanitary was that?

_Oh God, oh God, oh God, oh God._

Caroline found herself repeating the mantra in her head over and over again as she hurriedly stripped out of her ruined clothing. At least her Victoria's Secret bra was in tact. She tossed the bra into a separate pile from her dirty clothes before she rushed over to the shower, working with the knobs until hot water rushed out from the nozzle. She barely waited for the shower to cool down to an acceptable temperature before she jumped in, her knotted shoulders relaxing slightly as the hot spray worked its way down her exposed back.

The water was heaven, allowing her to rinse the dirt and grime from her body with no time to waste. Shutting the shower door behind her, Caroline sighed heavily as the steam from the shower clouded up the glass, enveloping her in a world of warmth. She looked around the quickly fogging shower, relieved to find a loofa and bath products. Grabbing a bottle, Caroline stared down at it in shock before squirting a bit of her favorite shampoo into her hands and lathering it through her blond curls, leaving the shampoo to sit on her head for a few minutes.

Not believing in coincidence, Caroline reached for the other bottles, noting her favorite bath wash and conditioner were also present. Even the razor and shaving cream were the same brand she used back at her aunt's house. How had they known? What else in her room was picked out specifically for her?

* * *

Stepping out of the shower, Caroline sighed happily knowing she was finally clean again. Nothing marred her skin and now she had time to focus on more pressing issues.

Grabbing a soft towel off of a towel rack near the shower wall, Caroline wrapped it around her body protectively, letting her long blond hair fall to one side of her neck as she made her way back to the mirror. Nothing was on the countertops but Caroline wasted no time in pulling open a few of the drawers under the sink. She shrank back, slightly horrified by what she was witnessing.

The drawers were stuffed full of brand new makeup, hair brushes, hair supplies, straighteners, blow dryers, makeup brushes and more. Everything was expensive and all of it were things Caroline herself had been looking at the past few months. Things she wanted but never had enough money to buy, so she always stared longingly through a shop window or at the makeup counter.

Someone had to have been watching her to know her favorite items. It was beyond creepy. Why had the family had someone watching her and for how long? As far as she knew her aunt had only made the deal with the Mikaelson's two weeks ago, but some of the things in the drawers she'd been looking at for months. Why would they be watching her that far back?

Caroline shivered, uncertain if it was from the coolness returning to the bathroom or out of apprehension. It didn't matter. After a shower and dulling herself to the wonderful surroundings around her, Caroline was back to feeling how she should have felt when she first entered the mansion. She didn't belong in this place and she didn't plan on staying there. As soon as she found a way out, whether it took days or months, she was taking it. No matter what.

* * *

Caroline awoke hours later, a startled feeling in her chest at her unfamiliar surroundings. It took a few seconds to realize where exactly she was before Caroline groaned loudly and covered her head in the thick comforter, wishing she'd only been having a nightmare. Hallucination, night terror, something other than reality would have been lovely.

A soft knock on the door startled Caroline out of her hiding spot. She stared at the closed door, heart beating loudly in her chest. What was she supposed to do? Just open it? She was afraid to find out who might be on the other side of the door, but something warned her that refusing to open the door wasn't in her best interest. If she planned on escaping undetected, she needed to build the belief that she was satisfied with her life and current living situation. If they kept viewing her as a flight risk she would never have enough leeway to escape her captors.

The knock sounded again.

"Give me just a second, please." She threw the covers off of her, hopping down from the bed and onto the floor. Caroline really hoped she would get the hang of the big bed. She had to use the desk chair as a step stool the night before the get up into the giant bed and she really didn't want to keep doing that forever.

Making sure the t-shirt and pajama pants she wore covered everything adequately, Caroline walking slowly to the door and pulled it open, expecting to see the Grim Reaper or Freddy Krueger on the other side. She had to admit, she was a bit shocked to find an attractively chic dressed blond woman at her door.

Caroline stared at the woman who was a few inches taller than herself, feeling extremely inadequate in her rumpled pajamas. "Hello..." What was she supposed to say?

"It's about time you decided to wake up. Did you think a life of servitude would be spent sleeping away your days until you eventually got old and died?" Caroline narrowed her eyes at the blond.

"If I had thought that then I would have stayed in bed instead of answering the door for you." The blond nudged herself past Caroline, ripping open the closet door as if she'd done it a hundred times. Which she probably had, proving Caroline's theory that the younger vampire sister had hordes of clothing stashed around the mansion.

"Now, now. We have a busy day ahead of us. I'll need you to escort me around town, introduce me to all the faces around here and we can't have you looking like that when we go out and about." The blond, who had to be Rebekah, rustled around in the closet, pulling out a lilac sundress, Levi's denim jacket, a light brown belt and a pair of ankle length boots the same shade of brown as the belt. Shoving them into Caroline's hands, Rebekah continued talking. "Chop, chop. The clothes won't dress themselves."

Caroline set the clothes down on the bed, turning back to the blond. "I'm not going to wear your clothes." The blond headed for the door, before turning around to face Caroline.

"Darling, those are _your_ clothes. I merely picked them out for you. Can't have you walking around in rags if we plan on having you be our ambassador of sorts, now can we?" Caroline stared at Rebekah blankly. "Now, get dressed and meet me downstairs in the foyer. We haven't got all day." With that, the blond disappeared as quickly as she'd come, leaving Caroline suddenly angry.

So they had purchased her all those expensive clothes to buy her off!

_The nerve of those... those monsters_!

Caroline shook with rage as she tore off her pajamas and dressed in the clothing Rebekah had picked out for her. She wanted to throw the clothes onto the ground and stomp on them like a child might. Unfortunately, her and Rebekah apparently shared similar style because Caroline loved the outfit that had been chosen for her. It definitely seemed like something Caroline would wear, which made her all the more angry. Who did this family think they were? The Kennedy's?

Well, they were definitely more powerful and influential than the Kennedy's. Plus the Kennedy's had followers that had been born out of love. The Mikaelson's had followers born out of fear. Quite a difference when you thought about it.

Caroline made her way into the bathroom, brushing her teeth and washing her face before applying a bit of blush, mascara and lipstick. Truth be told, Caroline's complexion let her get away with as little makeup as possible, which she didn't mind at all. Every time she put on foundation, her skin felt caked on and sticky. Never an attractive feeling.

Sighing as she looked herself over in the mirror, Caroline brushed back a few unruly curls, glad her hair had maintained it's composure through the night.

Steeling her shoulders, Caroline headed from her room and to the wide stair case down the hallway, hoping to avoid running in to any other Mikaelson's.

"Going somewhere, love?" The slight British accent had Caroline's heart fluttering for just a moment before she stuck her nose up slightly and turned to Niklaus, who was standing behind her.

"I've been summoned by your sister to show her around the town. So doing my duty as a devoted servant, I should probably be on my way to meet her downstairs." Klaus smirked at her haughty tone.

Stepping next to her, they both began walking towards the staircase. "Was the room quite to your liking?" Klaus asked nonchalantly, making sure to keep his gaze forward and not on her angry expression.

"It was very nice. A little creepy that all of my favorite types of belongings were in there, but nice. Tell me, to whom do I owe my gratitude for all of the fancy clothing?" Her voice was thick with sarcasm as she stared him down, waiting for him to turn his gaze in her direction.

Klaus smiled playfully before stopping at the top of the staircase with Caroline. "No thanks necessary, love. We merely want you to be happy."

"My freedom would make me happy. Seeing the world would make me happy. Graduating college would make me happy. Starting a life would make me happy. Being trapped in here in your house of family horrors will never make me happy."

Caroline barely had a moment to relish the hurt look on Klaus's face before she found herself in a different room of the house, pressed against a wall as Klaus pressed his body into hers, his palm resting against the pulse in her neck. His expression was as enraged as she had been feeling on the inside, only now Caroline felt a slight pang of fear staring at the Original before her. She shouldn't have angered him. Of all the Originals to piss off, she knew he was the least likely to let her live. So why was she doing it?

There was just something about him that set her on edge, besides the vampire thing. Something that made her uneasy as a woman, if that made any sense.

"You should be more grateful to us, to me. This 'house of family horrors' is your home now, Caroline, until we see fit to change that. Us, not you. Your family hated you so much they sold you to the most cunning vampires the other world has ever known and you will show your respect and thankfulness. We could do whatever we wanted with you and instead we are trying to make you an ally, a guest rather than a hostage."

"Why?" She asked baffled, vividly aware of the thumb caressing her pulse. She licked her dry lips, startled when Klaus's eyes followed the quick movement, his eyelids closing slightly. She sucked in a short breath, thinking she had to be imagining the look he was giving her. Her knees weakened slightly as her breath hitched from that look.

The next moment Caroline found Klaus standing a few feet away from her, giving her plenty of space to breathe in and out. She looked at Klaus, seeing his usual sardonic expression before her answered her question, seeming as if the moment that had passed between them was an illusion. Perhaps she was seeing things. Imagining them. But why would she imagine herself being turned on by Klaus Mikaelson?

Maybe she was as crazy as he was.

"Why doesn't matter, love. You should probably run along, Rebekah doesn't like to be kept waiting." Caroline turned to leave. "Another thing, Caroline." She shivered when he said her name. "You're not on vervain, so the fact you cannot be compelled by vampires is troubling. It isn't something I would want to be known by any other besides myself. Do you understand?" She remained facing away from him, incapable of answering. "If my sister or another member of the house attempts to compel you, you must pretend it's working otherwise they might not see your survival as necessary."

They would kill her?

Taking Klaus's warning with her, Caroline rushed from the dark room, finding the staircase a few minutes later and meeting with Rebekah in the foyer.

"What took you so long? You look startled. Did Cole bother you?" Caroline smiled politely before holding the front door open for Rebekah, silently urging the blond forward and away from the hell house.

"No, no one bothered me. Sorry I kept you waiting, Rebekah. Are you ready to meet the people of Mystic Falls?"

* * *

The two women drove into town, Caroline behind the steering wheel, politely answering any and all questions Rebekah had about the town. Once they arrived in the town center, Rebekah squealed with delight.

"It's been nearly four hundred years since I set my sights on this place. I was hoping it would have expanded a bit, but it is charming." Caroline parked the car and the two women exited the vehicle, heading towards the Grill. "I don't know about you, Caroline, but I'm positively famished. Does the Grill serve decent food?"

Caroline nodded. "It's about the only place around here that does."

"Wonderful, let's go inside and eat."

Caroline stopped short of the entrance, glancing around to make sure no one was within ear shot. "When you say, 'eat', do you actually meant eat? Or do you mean... You know. _Eat._"

Rebekah laughed before opening the door and heading inside. "I do happen to enjoy a good burger every now and then, don't you?"

_I guess that answers my question then,_ Caroline thought to herself.

The two women sat at the bar, each grabbing hold of a menu and perusing the items for order.

"Hey, Care. How's it going?" Matt Donovan strode over to the table, his long legs clad in a pair of dark jeans, his Mystic Grill shirt stretching tightly over his shoulders. Caroline took a look at Rebekah, who was leaned back on her bar stool, no doubt enjoying the view.

"Hey, Matt. Just came to get some lunch. This is uh, my friend Rebekah. Rebekah this is Matt." Caroline introduced the two, a worried expression on her face when she noticed how interested Rebekah seemed in Matt and how charming he was being with her.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. Is this your first time in Mystic Falls?"

"Not exactly," Rebekah smiled at him shyly. "I was here a long time ago with some of my family. In fact, we've come back for a visit. Caroline is being kind enough to stay with us and show us around town."

Matt smiled over at Caroline. "Yeah, I'm not too surprised. Caroline is always trying to help out with anything she can. She plans killer parties also." He grinned at Caroline, who laughed nervously in her throat. She grabbed a glass of water Matt had brought over, taking a gulp to steady her nerves.

"A killer party sounds just like what the doctor ordered, wouldn't you say Caroline?" The water exploded from Caroline's mouth as she coughed heavily from Rebekah's words. Matt thumped her back, urging her to clear her throat.

"Are you okay, Caroline?" Matt's concern was touching and sweet, just like the man himself. He and Caroline had known each other since kindergarten, going to the same schools until they both eventually graduated high school. They even dated for a few months their junior year, but that was a long time ago and they worked much better as friends.

"I'm okay, Matty. Thank you." Matt excused himself and headed over to a table in the corner of the restaurant, taking the order of the only other patrons in the place.

"Was that really necessary?" Caroline hissed at Rebekah before taking a gently drink of her water in the hopes of soothing her throat.

"Relax, it was only a joke. Well, the killing part. A ball does sound rather lovely, don't you think? We could plan it together and invite all of Mystic Falls to the plantation for a night of fun and festivities!" Rebekah looked at Caroline with a twinkle in her eyes, almost like an exuberant child.

"You want to host a ball? What would your brothers say to that?" Rebekah waved away her question before looking down at her menu again.

"I'm sure it would be fine. It's very hard for them to say no to my wishes."

Caroline stared at the vampire in front of her, curious.

The Mikaelson's planned on throwing a ball and inviting all the humans in town? That would be a sight to see, she was sure of it.

* * *

**Please feel free to leave me a review! It's always nice to hear if my stories are catching anyone's interest!**

**Also, thank you for the other reviews on chapter one! It really helped me get out a second chapter as soon as I could find the time to write one. :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you so much for all the follows/faves and especially the reviews! Makes me a very happy camper! Also, I wrote another chapter, which hopefully you all can let me know if you enjoyed it or not!**

**:)**

* * *

"Come now, Caroline! It's late enough as it is, we must return to the manor before my brothers throw a fit." Caroline sighed to herself, grabbing the keys from the denim pocket of her new Levi's jacket. They'd gone shopping for a few hours, roamed around the town, even visited the town cemetery before night fell. Now it was nearly past 10pm and the town was shut down, which wasn't surprising for a Wednesday evening. Nothing exciting ever happen in Mystic Falls.

Caroline glanced at her companion as they both stepped into the Mustang.

Well, maybe Mystic Falls was more exciting than she had previously realized. Sure, as a founding family Caroline had been privy to tons of knowledge about the supernatural, but reading about it in some old leather bound journals and experiencing it firsthand were quite different. Caroline was still having a hard time to wrap her mind around this family. All she had heard were terrible, evil things about the Original clan, yet she'd just spent the day shopping with Rebekah and Klaus and Elijah had been more friendly than she had anticipated.

She wasn't even sure if the other brothers had traveled with the family to Mystic Falls or not, which could possibly make her stay, and escape, all the easier.

* * *

The women drove back to the mansion in relative silence. Caroline remained quiet mostly due to how tired she had become. Her body and mind needed time to rest properly in order to process all the changes she was coming in contact with lately.

Once they pulled up to the long driveway, Rebekah tensed as Caroline shut off the car. Looking back at the blond vampire, Caroline raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Is something the matter?"

Rebekah gave her a reassuring smile, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Perfectly fine. The boys merely have a few companions over this evening." Caroline glanced from the car to the house, about twenty feet away and back to the vampire again. No other cars were in the driveway, leaving Caroline to suspect one other explanation.

"You can hear them in there from here?" Rebekah nodded. "Wow, that's pretty impressive." Caroline removed the key from the ignition, grabbing a few of her shopping bags from the back and stepping from the car, shutting her car door softly as not to upset Rebekah's ears.

"Perhaps we should go around back, give the men some privacy?" Rebekah glanced nervously around, almost as if she was expecting the boogeyman to pop out and attack her at any moment.

The wind picked up, causing a chill to crawl down Caroline's spine. The thought of going into the front of the house had Caroline dreading what lurked inside... And yet. "We should probably just go in there. If I'm supposed to be with you all until I die of old age, I'm bound to see something unflattering eventually. Might as well get it out of the way sooner rather than later, right?" Caroline, ever the optimist. She wanted to bang her head against the hood of the car rather than go inside. She was sure something horrendous awaited her inside and she wasn't sure if she wanted to see what it was.

What if Klaus was in there draining every woman in town dry? Caroline shook her head when her thoughts immediately turned envious. For the moment all she could picture was Klaus with his hands wrapped around a faceless woman's waist, mouth caressing her neck as she moaned in ecstasy. Maybe Rebekah didn't want her coming in and spotting an out of control orgy.

Caroline immediately reeled back from her dark thoughts. Why was she even thinking about him like that? He was practically ancient and no way was Klaus her type. At all. Ever.

Back to more pressing issues, Caroline asked herself more questions.

What if he was high off of bloodlust and attacked her? What if he and Elijah had murdered half the town and expected her to hide the bodies while they slept off the effects of their party? Was she really prepared for that?

Did she really expect to walk into the house and find a bloodbath? No, no she didn't.

Steeling her resolve, she grabbed the bags tighter in her hands, moving ahead of Rebekah and towards the front door, determined to meet her reality head on.

After all, she didn't expect her time to be spent shopping and hanging out in town, did she?

"I really hope you know what you're doing, Caroline." Rebekah stood behind the blond, allowing her to open the door for herself.

Caroline pushed open the door, stepping into the grand foyer, expecting to see crimson staining the walls and body parts strewn across the once immaculate tile.

To her surprise, the entryway seemed as normal as it had that morning, with nothing noticeable out of place. Looking around, Caroline didn't notice any of the brothers, but she heard laughter from a room to her left and immediately followed the sound, ignoring Rebekah's mumbled 'Oh fantastic' as she drew closer to the sounds of an obvious party. Caroline felt her shoulders sagging in relief, scoffing at herself for her dark thoughts only moments before. Clearly she had been overreacting, she scolded herself.

Turning the corner which led to the billiard room, Caroline stopped in the entryway, eyes trying to adjust to what she had to be seeing. Red streaks marred the walls and pools of deep red liquid ruined the otherwise white carpet. A few pieces of furniture were overturned as if someone had tried to avoid a scuffle and failed.

Blood. There was blood everywhere.

Elijah sat reading a newspaper in a chair while two shirtless women danced around him, bite marks along their throats and bare chests. Was that where all the blood had come from? She wasn't sure how much blood a human could lose before they died. Two pints? Three?

Klaus was bent over a pool table with his back to her as he took a shot, pool balls falling deep into the pockets.

"Brother, you've distracted me with women so that you could best me at pool. Very un-sportsman like, if you ask me." Caroline turned her attention briefly to the new voice, finding another Mikaelson sibling who had to be Kol standing with his hands all over a woman, watching as she bled from her throat, seemingly uncaring that she was losing precious fluid from her body.

Caroline gasped, her shopping bags falling uselessly to the bloody ground as she noticed the dead body of another woman directly behind Kol. No one was paying the corpse any attention, leaving Caroline to speculate dead guests were a regular occurrence for the Mikaelson's.

"I told you we should have gone around back," Rebekah chided softly.

Klaus straightened immediately, turning to face the two blonds. His irritated expression landed on Rebekah before he dragged his eyes to Caroline. She sucked in another breath, finding it impossible not to notice the blood dried along his chin, facial hair and crusted to his once clean henley shirt.

"It seems we've frightened our lovely new minion." Kol shoved the half naked woman away from him roughly, not caring when she stumbled and fell over her dead companion. She didn't seem to mind either, instead pouting and reaching out a hand to stop the younger brother from approaching Caroline. Kol stepped next to Caroline, hand going out to touch her face. He gripped her chin, making her meet his gaze. "What a lovely creature you are. I bet you taste even better than your aunt. I bet you fuck better than her as well. Shall we find out, lovely?" He leaned down to kiss her lips.

Caroline jerked her head away from him, taking a step back towards Rebekah, hoping the other woman would protect her from harm. "Keep your hands off of me."

"A feisty wench, aren't you?" Kol grabbed her arm, tightening it threateningly. "I bet I could break you just like I broke your aunt. You'd be all over me before you knew it, begging me for anything and everything I wanted to give you. Wouldn't you like that?"

"It sounds like the most disgusting thing I could possibly imagine, and I'm living in a house full of monsters." She sneered at him, trying her best to ignore the dead body lying only a few feet from her. Were there more dead people in the house?

Before Kol's grip could tighten even further on her arm, Klaus flashed in between them, grabbing his brother by the throat and lifting him until Kol's hold on Caroline weakened and eventually fell away. She shivered at the devil protecting her, wanting more than anything to turn back time and sneak in through the back. For whatever reason, seeing Klaus like this made her sad and weary and extremely angry with herself for finding him attractive in any capacity. She also hated her body's reaction, instantly warming at his proximity to her.

"You heard the lady, brother. Keep your hands to yourself." With that, Klaus shoved his brother away, letting him fly through the billiard room and land in a heap on the ground near Elijah's chair. The eldest Mikaelson kept to his paper, letting the brothers handle the squabble themselves.

Caroline wasted no time, turning on her heel and abruptly leaving the room, bile rising in her throat the more she stood there among vampires and watched as they drained their victims dry. How many more victims would die tonight while she tried to sleep in her beautiful bed in her beautiful room inside that gorgeous house? She couldn't bare knowing what would be going on downstairs, even if she didn't have the ability to hear it all like Rebekah could. It was still revolting.

She barely noticed she was outside of the mansion until the cool wind helped to wake her from whatever trance she'd been in momentarily. The moon was high in the sky, helping Caroline to see the path before her as she moved faster and faster into the woods, her ankle boots barely slowing her down as she moved quickly in the night.

As soon as Caroline realized she was fleeing the family, she began to run as fast as her legs could carry her, tears falling down her face and chilling her skin the quicker she moved. Caroline dodged trees and fallen branches, swiping her curls from her face as she ran.

Looking ahead, Caroline slammed to a halt, nearly twisting her ankle as she caught the hellish sight in front of her.

Klaus stood less than five feet away, blood still encasing his features, the moonlight and tree branches casting his face into a harsh shadow. Even his eyes were glowing a deep shade of gold while the rest of his eyes were black. Caroline turned into another direction, taking off only to be stopped by the demon standing yet again in her path.

"Stay back." She stepped away from him, picking up a thick tree branch and snapping it in half with her knee, pleased to see it form into a very sharp edge.

"You mean to kill me with a tree branch, love?" Klaus smirked, the veins in his face stretching up to his eyes.

Caroline gulped, backing herself right up against a giant tree trunk. There was no point in running since he could easily capture her. He probably got off on the chase and she wasn't about to make it a good time for him.

"I don't want to hurt you, I just want you to leave me alone. Please."

Klaus stepped forward slowly, no doubt hearing the beat of her pulse increase dramatically as he slowly maneuvered closer to her. She told herself her pulse beat erratically out of fear, but she couldn't be sure if it was from fear or desire, and the doubts in her mind sickened her.

"You know I can't do that, Caroline. You've run away and I mean to bring you back."

"I didn't mean to run away. I just wanted to be away from you bloodsuckers."

"By fleeing the premises? It sounds an awfully lot like running away." Klaus smirked, his eyes melting away to the blue she was coming familiar with, the veins disappearing from his face, making him almost handsome yet again. Caroline released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

Klaus appeared closer to her, his thumb brushing away the dampness from her cheeks. She flinched at his touch, staring past him into the forest, doing her best not to look directly at him.

"You killed that woman, didn't you? Back at the house?" She turned her gaze to his, their eyes clashing as his went from soft grey to steel blue. Klaus pulled away from her, their gazes still locked.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I'm a killer. I enjoy watching the life drain from their eyes when I feed. It's a rush unlike any other."

"Can't you find another hobby? Skydiving, perhaps?" She tried joking it off, but her voice cracked slightly. "Do you always kill when you feed?"

"No."

"Your eyes. They're a different color than the descriptions in my family journals. Why is that?"

"I am the only hybrid in existence. My eyes are like this because I am half vampire and half werewolf, leaving me different than all other vampires." He seemed to grow taller with pride as he spoke, yet Caroline could only think one thing.

"That's sounds lonely. Is that why you get a thrill from ripping people away from the ones they love forever?" Her voice hardened, a fire lighting in her eyes as she found her inner strength. She wouldn't let herself forget what he was, not even if she found him appealing in any sense.

Klaus grabbed her by the shoulders, dragging her unwilling body into the heat of his. Staring down at her, Klaus growled menacingly. "I will not explain myself to you or anyone else! I will do as I please and nothing and no one will change that, not even you." His shouting stilled and for a moment all they could do was stare at one another before Caroline pushed him away from her again, giving herself proper space to clear her head.

What did he mean 'not even you'? Like she could influence him into doing anything decent. He'd already made it apparent that was beyond him.

"Why are you answering my questions?" She looked at him once again, thinking she would see anger in his from her constant badgering. She was, however, surprised to see quite the opposite. He seemed quite content to sit and speak with her, when only moments before he'd been about to burst her ear drums with his shouting.

"I hope it might alleviate your fears somewhat. Put your mind at ease. Is it working?"

Caroline snorted, sinking against the tree trunk and to the mossy earth. "It might work a little better if you didn't have blood all over your face and shirt. Not to mention shouting at an already frightened young woman isn't exactly the best thing to do when trying to calm down the situation." Klaus smiled down at her, a rather chilling expression with all of the blood matting into his stubble. "Oh, now you look like a serial killer. But considering you've been alive for a bajillion years, you probably are technically a serial killer."

Klaus grinned down at her, laughing slightly. "My brother Kol was definitely right about one thing. You are feisty. Not many people would dare address me so boldly. Or to patronize me. It is refreshing." He reached down, pulling Caroline up quickly, leaving her flush against his body.

Caroline's cheeks heated as uneasiness crept into her mind. Did she really want to be so close to him after he'd just killed someone? No, no she didn't.

"I don't think I can't help it. There's just something about you that pushes my buttons. Maybe it's how little disregard you have for human life. Just sets me on edge. Does that make sense?" He stared at her curiously before nodding his head.

"I understand completely, love."

The pair walked back to the mansion, Klaus escorting her to her room, no doubt to keep her away from Kol.

"About your brother..." Klaus placed a comforting hand on her arm.

"I'll see to it he doesn't bother you again."

Caroline nodded her head and went into her room, closing the door softly behind her.

She barely slept.

* * *

"A ball? Sister, have you lost your mind?" Elijah spoke frankly to his little sister, all but ignoring Caroline who sat on a couch as far away from the pair as she could get. She kind of liked Rebekah, which was weird enough, but she didn't trust Elijah. She didn't know him enough, if at all, to find him any kind of trustworthy. Even if he didn't take part in the bloody festivities the night before, he hadn't done anything to stop it, which was just as damning in Caroline's mind.

Rebekah walked towards her brother, a pout on her beautiful face. "But Elijah, I never get to have any fun. You lot are always causing trouble somewhere and I just tag along, bored to my wits end. Can't I have just one teensy tiny ball to satisfy my needs for a few decades? Caroline thinks it's a wonderful idea as well, don't you Caroline?" Rebekah turned to look at the young human who just sat on the couch motionless, surprised to have been brought up in the conversation at all.

"Um... I mean, I don't see how it could be a bad thing, especially if you are wanting to mingle with the townspeople. Granted, you'd have to refrain from eating everyone on the guest list, but it seems like a smart idea." What on Earth was she saying now? Telling vampires not to eat the guests? Considering the night before, maybe someone should be telling them not to munch on the guests.

Elijah smiled slightly. "I can assure you, Ms. Forbes, we can keep our fangs to ourselves for an evening." Good to know. Caroline breathed a small sigh of relief, hoping no one would really notice how nervous she was.

"Speak for yourself, brother." A new voice pitched in from behind Caroline. Less than a second later a faint whooshing noise followed the arrival of Kol, who sat next to Caroline on the sofa. "Hello, sweet." He reached over, wrapping one of Caroline's curls around his finger. "My, my, don't you look like a tempting treat?" Caroline shrank back further into the couch, swatting at his hand. If she was repulsed the night before, she was even more so now, wanting nothing to do with him. Hadn't he learned his lesson from Klaus the night before? "Brother, I'm afraid there was an alarming report of vampires wandering the property uninvited about two miles north of here. Would you go check it out?"

Elijah stared at his younger brother for a moment before nodding and flashing away, leaving the two women with the younger Mikaelson brother.

"You should keep your hands to yourself." Caroline scolded him even as he grabbed a handful of her hair, jerking her neck back until he could study the column of her throat.

"You should mind your manners, wench." Rebekah stood from her chair across the room, walking slow towards the duo on the couch. Kol turned his head to his younger sister. "Now, now sis. We don't want you to startle me so much that I accidentally snap the poor girl's neck, do we?" Kol turned his attention back to Caroline. "Now where did we leave things last night? Ah, I remember. You were spurning my advances and hiding behind my idiotic brother. Well, it seems I have you all to myself now, doesn't it, sweet?"

Caroline's pulse picked up a few notches, thumping heavily against her throat. She could practically hear it in her ears, the quick pace beating erratically like a drum before a war began. He planned on killing her?

Kol smiled hungrily at Caroline, bringing his face close to her throat and inhaling. "Did you know, Caroline, my favorite part of the body to drink from is right here." A cold slender finger traced delicately over her carotid artery. When Caroline tried to move away Kol tightened the grip on her hair until she yelped in pain. She made the mistake of looking him in the eyes, watching in horror as his eyes turned black, veins rushing through his face and his fangs dropped over his bottom lip. "My other favorite are the breasts. So juicy and inviting. I can never resist taking a bite." The images of the women the night before flashed into Caroline's mind. They'd had bite marks all over their chests.

"Kol, release her at once." Rebekah's tone was abrupt and determined, but Caroline could see the look in Kol's eyes and she knew he wouldn't stop unless forced.

"Just a taste, then I will release her."

"She is a guest in this household and you will release her immediately. I should have known when you sent Elijah away it was to pull a stunt like this. Shall I call Niklaus to handle you?" Kol smirked, ignoring the demanding tone in Rebekah's voice.

"Nik has been gone for hours, no doubt drinking his fill of women in the next town over, if he hasn't screwed them all to death by now. I'll be done in plenty of time, Rebekah, then you can cater to our _guest._" Kol planted his teeth into Caroline's throat, giving her no time to flee or hope that Elijah would come back into the room handle his younger brother.

Rebekah rushed forward as Kol threw his body on top of Caroline's flailing limbs, no doubt trying to contain her frightened explosion. Rebekah grabbed at her brother but he shoved her away with a free hand, intent on continuing his feast. Rebekah slammed into a wall, her head connecting with a sharp thud before she collapsed to the floor, a small line of blood forming like a halo around her head. Caroline shut her eyes, dread filling her bones as her struggles weakened with the loss of blood.

Caroline moaned low in her throat as she felt herself grow more and more tired. Kol moaned with her for very different reasons, sucking at the holes now in her neck and shuddering with every long pull as her blood filled his mouth.

_This is it,_ Caroline thought to herself drowsily. She was going to die within 24 hours of being a servant to the Mikaelson's. She shouldn't have gotten her hopes up after a fun outing with Rebekah. She should have known nothing but terrible things would ever await her.

One moment Kol was devouring her throat on the family couch, the next he was being hurled across the room by none other than Klaus, who wore a livid expression on his face.

He saw the tear in her throat, the blood falling onto her clothing and he turned to face his brother, his shoulders rigid. If Caroline had been exposed to that anger she would have been terrified. As it was, she could only fall over on the couch, clutching weakly to her throat as the scene unfolded before her.

Kol merely wiped her blood from his lips and gave his hand one final lick before facing his brother. "To what do I owe the pleasure, Nik?"

"You dare attack one of our guests in my home and think nothing will come of it?"

"Our guest? The girl is mine, she belongs to me! A gift from her aunt, remember? And what a gift indeed." Kol licked his lips, enjoying the rage that blossomed over Niklaus's face. "She tasted more exquisite than I would have imagined. It's such a shame I can't have more of her."

"You won't touch her again!" Klaus launched himself at his brother, grabbing ahold of his throat and snapping his brother's neck, letting his body crumple to the floor. Not bothering to spare a glance at his sister, Klaus appeared in front of Caroline's nearly still form. Klaus placed gentle hands under Caroline's knees and neck, lifting her gently from the couch and hurrying her along to his bedroom. Once there, he set her on his bed, staring down at her small, bloodied form.

"I don't want to die," Caroline whispered to him.

"I won't let you, love." Klaus knelt down beside her, biting into his wrist before he held it out to her, his blood dripping over her mouth. "Go ahead, love. Have at it."

Lifting Caroline's head, Klaus shuddered in relief as her small pink mouth latched onto his wrist, drinking her fill of his blood.

* * *

**Thank you for all the reviews! It makes me feel like a million bucks to see all the positive feedback!**

**BTW, to the guest who left a review about Kol's name! Thank you so much, I hadn't even realized I'd done it in the previous chapter, so I made sure to double check this one that his name was spelled correctly lol**

**jessnicole- this is DEFINITELY Klaroline, I'm just trying to build up to it honestly. I'd feel like a loon if she immediately went head over heels for him, although to be honest, I totally would, but that's just me.**

**SabbyDeeKnowles- Fear not! I always try and keep Caroline as safe and sound as the writing allows... And if she's in peril it isn't usually for too long, because I'm a sucker for Caroline's happiness :P**

**Please feel free to leave me some reviews for this latest chapter!**


	4. Chapter 4

**THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE FEEDBACK AND ALL OF THE FOLLOWS/FAVES. REALLY MEANS A LOT TO BE THAT PEOPLE ARE ENJOYING THE STORY :)**

* * *

Caroline awoke with a start, hands clutching her throat in fear, certain she would find a large hole leaking her life's essence. Instead, her hands grabbed at smooth skin. Caroline sighed in relief, remembering Klaus had given her his blood yet again to save her life.

She'd read plenty of books, seen tons of vampire movies and Caroline was beginning to worry about the repercussions of drinking vampire blood twice in two days. She wasn't going to morph into one of those creatures, was she? God, she hoped not. The first 19 years of her life had been pretty awful from what she could remember, and the past few days of working for the Mikaelson's hadn't been any better. Caroline didn't want an eternity of awful to look forward to. She knew she deserved better than that.

Caroline sat up in the bed, startled to realize she wasn't in her room. The decor was much darker than hers, the bed along the opposite wall from her room and the furniture was all different. Caroline cringed to herself when she put the pieces together. She had been sleeping in Klaus's room, _in his bed_. Why was she in his bed? Why couldn't he have taken her to her own room?

Caroline pushed the covers off of her, staring down at shock at her clothing. Or lack thereof. She was wearing only a black henley, the length of it reaching her mid thigh. Caroline didn't own a shirt like that, especially a man's shirt. In fact, she recalled seeing Klaus in a shirt extremely similar to the one she had on whenever he'd snapped Kol's neck.

Kol's words from earlier flashed into her mind and had Caroline practically leaping from the bed in fright.

_...drinking his fill of the women the next town over, if he hasn't screwed them all to death by now._

She didn't remember him offering her a shirt to sleep in or falling asleep. Which meant he'd undressed her and redressed her while she'd been sleeping. Rushing to the bedroom door, Caroline stopped dead in her tracks when a British voice spoke out from behind her.

"Going somewhere, love?"

Caroline flipped around, her back pressed against the door to comfort her slightly. She could face the hybrid from head on without fear of being attacked from behind. Caroline's eyes adjusted to the near darkness within a few seconds, helping her pinpoint Klaus's location. He was in another black henley with black jeans and he was leaning back comfortably along the wall across from her, almost as if he'd been standing there for hours. Some of Caroline's fear dissipated at the sight of him, which made her angry with herself. He was her enemy, even if he had been decent to her for a vampire.

"Why am I in here and where are my clothes?" Caroline demanded as she straightened her spine, keeping her chin up and her eyes focused directly on Klaus. She'd become head cheerleader a few years sooner than everyone thought she would and it was because she was tenacious and determined. Caroline was fierce and that wasn't about to change just because someone scary was in front of her.

"Unfortunately, your new outfit had to be tossed out. Rebekah attempted to get the blood out by washing it, but my little sister has only been awake for a few years and hasn't grasped the concept of a detergent proportions." He smirked a little to himself before his eyes wandered to her bare legs, lingering a few seconds longer than necessary.

"What do you mean, she just woke up a few years ago? Was she cursed by a witch or something?" It definitely sounded like a Sleeping Beauty situation to Caroline.

Klaus stepped from a wall, going over to a desk and rummaging through a large amount of paperwork. "I have certain ways of containing my sister and brothers for any amount of time I choose if they displease me. Rebekah's dalliances with various men throughout the years have caused her to be daggered every once and awhile when necessary. She has recently been allowed to rejoin the family." Caroline shivered at the thought.

"So if they cross you in any way you just do something with a weird ass dagger and make them sleep for years and years?" The idea left her disgusted with the man in front of her, acting as if they were having an ordinary, every day conversation.

"Precisely."

"That's insane. Like, incredibly psychotic. Why would you ever do that? Family is supposed to take care of each other, to make each other angry and irritated. It doesn't mean what you're doing is okay." Klaus's shoulders stiffened before he turned around, walking slowly but surely over to Caroline until they were barely a foot apart.

"I've daggered my brother Kol recently for his indiscretions against you. I placed a dagger into his heart before I practically tossed his body into a coffin and it was because he decided to harm you when I'd told him not to. Would you prefer I release my brother from his current dwelling and let the chips fall where they may? He is family after all."

Caroline dropped her gaze from his heated one, instantly worried and fearful at the thought of Kol finishing what he started. Let him out of some creepy coffin so he could attack her again? She didn't want that. In fact, she would prefer he stayed in there until she died, which God willing, would be decades and decades from now. Caroline still had plans on seeing the world and all of its beauty.

After a short pause, Klaus spoke again, his hand reaching up to cup her cheek, forcing her eyes to his. "You see? You want him in there as much as myself. To keep him away from you, away from the delicious scent of your blood and your body. My brother is my family but he will kill you if he has another opportunity. Is that what you wish?"

"No." Her voice was small, barely audible to her own ears.

Klaus stepped closer still, shortening the gap between them until a few inches were all that remained. Caroline turned her head to the side when he leaned down, accidentally exposing her throat in the process. Klaus pressed a small kiss to the once gaping wound, inhaling her scent as he did so. The sensation caused Caroline to shiver, in delight or fear she wasn't sure, but she kept her head to the side, her eyes to the ground at her feet instead of the demon in front of her.

"My brother said your taste was exquisite." Caroline's pulse picked up. Klaus turned her head back to him, resting his forehead against her own as he breathed deeply. "I hadn't had an occasion to be envious of my baby brother until yesterday."

"He almost killed me." Klaus's eyes darkened to black and gold in front of her, his fangs descending dangerously. For a small moment Caroline was terrified, but her curiosity got the better of her as the veins began moving under his eyes. Reaching up, she ran her thumbs along the veins, caressing his smooth skin as he watched her. Realizing what she was doing, Caroline pulled her hands away immediately. Klaus leaned down again, his fangs dragging along the column of her throat, causing Caroline to shiver. What on earth was she doing?

"Just a taste," Klaus whispered along her throat, his teeth dragging along the exact spot Kol had bitten her.

"No!" Caroline shouted, pushing the startled hybrid away from her as she clutched her throat protectively. Her eyes held all the terror she felt, her breathing labored as she locked eyes with him. "I don't want anyone else to put their fangs into me ever again, do you understand? Don't touch me!" Caroline didn't wait for a reply, she turned and fled the room, slamming the door behind her. A few moments later she was inside the slight comfort of her own bedroom, locking the door behind her.

Ripping the henley off of her, Caroline practically ran into the bathroom, starting a cold shower and jumping inside, sucking in a deep breath from the frigid cold. Grabbing her loofa and bath wash, Caroline scrubbed her skin until it was nearly raw, desperate to wash the feel of Kol Mikaelson off of her, and inadvertently, Klaus as well. She felt dirty and Caroline desperately wanted to be clean.

She'd scrub her skin until she felt clean again.

* * *

Caroline didn't come down from her room for two days, relying on the energy bars in her backpack for sustenance. Most of her time was spent trying to clear her head from the encounter with Klaus. She hadn't meant to act so strongly when he'd tried to drink her blood, but seriously?! She'd just been attacked by a lunatic Original hours before and he thought it was a good idea to have a taste? That'd she would be okay with it? That she wouldn't freak out because he'd almost said the exact same thing Kol had right before he'd dug into her throat like it was a buffet?

Please.

Still, Caroline felt as if she possibly owed Klaus an explanation or maybe just an apology. She had a feeling he didn't let many people storm off and deny him something he wanted, which she was beginning to suspect was herself. Not that she wanted anything to do with him.

Really.

She barely knew the hybrid and the little she did know was that he was dangerous, ruthless, murderous. Granted, he had been protective of her since she'd arrived, even going so far as to protect her from one of his psycho siblings. That should say something, shouldn't it?

Caroline only knew one thing for sure. Staying in her room for days and days on end wasn't like her. She could and she would adapt to her surroundings until she found an acceptable time to leave, but until then, she needed to steel her resolve and her emotions and go mingle with the other people in the house. She could probably even find out what exactly they intended for her to do for them during her stay. She was a little surprised they hadn't filled her in on those details in the first place, but maybe they were wanting her to adjust to her new surroundings. That sounded plausible, didn't it?

Caroline checked her reflection in the mirror, making sure it was up to Caroline Forbes standards. Her hair was curled and perfectly in place, the black jeggings matched the aqua spaghetti strapped shirt she had on perfectly and he black knee length boots completed the ensemble. She looked strong and confident even though she didn't feel it. The clothes were her armor and she didn't have a problem with that in the slightest.

Exiting the room, Caroline wasn't surprised when she didn't bump into any vampires on the second floor. She hadn't seen anyone other than the Original family in the mansion, and she didn't plan on seeing any other guest there during her stay, even if there were tons of free rooms available.

Caroline made her way down the staircase, looking left and right when she reached the foyer. Still no one, which was strange.

Were they trying to see if she would run away again so soon after the Kol incident? She wouldn't put it past any of them, especially Klaus, considering their last encounter. But Caroline wasn't a fool and she certainly wasn't about to test her luck so soon since the last time. No, she intended on playing her part until she had a substantial amount of their trust and a plan that suited her better than her first one. She only needed to bide her time.

Turning to her right, Caroline followed the hardwood floor back to the billiard room she'd seen the dead body in. Or the party, depending on who you asked. Maybe they were having another feeding frenzy and that's why she hadn't seen any of them?

Caroline strode purposefully down the long hallway, nearly stopping in her tracks when she heard voices coming from the billiard room, although the only ones she heard were men. Maybe Elijah preferred their company? Not to be deterred, Caroline kept up her pace, passing through the doorway as the scene unfolded before her.

"Stefan?" Caroline asked when she saw one of her good friends kneeling in front of Klaus, who looked more irritated than anything. Stefan looked up in her direction, confused when he saw the blond human standing by the doorway. Caroline gasped when she caught sight of an ugly bite along the column of his neck, rushing forward to inspect the damage. "Oh my God, Stefan. What happened to you?" He looked weak, sweat was smeared along his forehead and he seemed slightly disoriented. She reached his side, taking a good long look at the bite mark along his neck. It didn't look like a vampire bite, something she was finding herself more familiar with than necessary. Still, the vampire bites on the women over the other night were relatively small and neat, the bite on Stefan looked like someone had torn some of the flesh from his body.

"Careful, love." Klaus grabbed her arm, gently tugging her away from the Salvatore brother. "He's been bitten by a werewolf. Dreadful stuff, that. He'll no doubt start hallucinating soon and it would be best if you were safely away from him to save yourself any harm. Not that I would let him lay a hand on you, of course." Caroline cast a quick glance at the hybrid before focusing her attention back at Stefan.

"Stefan, are you going to be alright?" He looked at her, almost as if he wasn't expecting her to be real.

"Caroline? What are you doing here?"

"Um... I kind of work for the Mikaelson's. What are you doing here?" Stefan cast a quick glance at Klaus.

Klaus cleared his throat, causing Caroline to turn her full attention back to him, as opposed to the kneeling friend in front of her. "It seems Stefan has come here to be healed of his wound."

Caroline lowered her voice. "Can vampire blood heal a werewolf bite?" She'd seen it do so many things, she wouldn't be surprised if it could.

Klaus smiled at her, seemingly pleased with her question. "No, love. In fact, a werewolf's bite is lethal to almost every vampire in existence, save for my family, you see. The bite of a wolf causes all sorts of problems before a vampire finally dies. Hallucinations, fevers, all sorts of unpleasant things." Fevers? Caroline looked back at the sweat beading on her friend's forehead.

"Stefan's a vampire? But we graduated high school together. He's dating one of my best friends." Klaus laughed and the sound would have been like music to her ears if the situation didn't seem so dire.

"Graduated high school with him?" He looked at Stefan. "Mate, you're over one hundred years old and you went back to high school? That is wonderful."

Stefan pulled himself forward slightly, his gaze lingering on Caroline before turning back to Klaus. "Please, Klaus. Help me, I'm begging you."

"You've been begging me for hours, Stefan and frankly I've grown tired of the whole affair. My answer is no." Caroline grabbed ahold of Klaus's arm, directing his attention back to her. His eyes practically stared into her soul, his unwavering gaze making her fidget under his scrutiny.

"Can you help him?" She didn't want Stefan to die, even if he was a vampire. Elena, her friend, would be devastated and Caroline would be sad if she knew Stefan was dead. He was a loyal friend and a wonderful boyfriend. He didn't deserve to die if there was a way for him to live. He didn't answer her, giving Caroline her answer. "You can, can't you? It's because you're a hybrid, so you have both vampire and werewolf blood in your veins. Your blood can cure him."

"Yes, it can, but unfortunately for Stefan, it won't because I don't feel like extending the courtesy. Be on your way, Salvatore." Klaus shooed the vampire away with his hand, turning to leave the room.

"Wait, you can't just leave him there like that." Caroline followed him out into the hallway, distressed slightly at leaving Stefan by himself while he was dying on the billiard room floor. Would there go a day without someone dying into the carpet?

"I can and I will. There is no need for me to heal him." Klaus made his way down a hallway she'd never been through before, opening a double door into a giant library she had no idea had existed. She definitely knew she would be revisiting it later, but she needed to help Stefan, or rather, get Klaus to help Stefan.

"What about your compassion?"

"I have no compassion. Besides, even if I did, I hate giving my blood to anyone." Caroline scoffed at that. Hadn't he given her his blood on multiple occasions since she'd met him? Klaus stared down at her until she squirmed and looked away. "There might be an exception to my dislike of giving blood, but unfortunately for Stefan, he doesn't quite catch my fancy." Her breath caught in her throat, uncertain if she'd just heard correctly. She shook her head as he turned away, sitting in front of desk and pouring himself a glass of scotch before he opened a book.

"Walden?" She shuddered, remembering the tortured days she had spent reading that book for her English Lit class in high school.

"Yes. Have you read it?"

"Unfortunately." Klaus smirked before he turned a page, tuning her out as he focused on her reading. "Please. Stefan is my friend and he doesn't deserve to die. If you can help him, will you do it? For me?" An instant later Klaus stood before Caroline, causing her to jump slightly before taking a cautious step backward at the strange gleam in his eyes.

"I will not have my hand forced by you or anyone else." His words came out calmly, almost soothingly, but the underlying steel in his gaze told Caroline he was anything but calm. He was angry with her and she wasn't sure why.

"I didn't mean to upset you. Just please, he doesn't deserve to die like that. If you can help him, why won't you?" He leaned back from her, returning to his chair and propping his feet up on the desk. Klaus reached for his first edition, reopening the pages to no doubt read himself into a slumber.

"There is nothing for me to gain by helping the young Salvatore. Why save his life if I reap no rewards?" Caroline swallowed hard, unbelievably caught off guard by the fact that he was completely content to stand aside and do nothing while someone died. Where was his compassion, his humanity? Had living such a long life stripped him of any common decency?

"What do you want?" Her pulse quickened as she asked the question, already dreading the answer. But if he wanted something she could give him and he would save Stefan's life, wouldn't it be worth it? Shouldn't it be worth it? Caroline didn't think Elena would ever forgive her if Caroline could have saved Stefan's life and didn't.

"The only thing I crave at the moment is something you've made perfectly clear you mean not to give me." He flipped another page in his book, diligently ignoring her startled expression. He still wanted some of her blood?

"Why?"

"Well you seemed rather upset the last time I tried, so you tell me?" He looked up from the pages of his book, his heated gaze doing something intense to her insides.

"No, I mean, why do you want my blood?"

"It's none of your concern." Klaus flipped yet another page. She was beginning to think he wasn't reading at all, merely flipping through the pages to show his disinterest of their conversation.

"Seriously?! It's my blood, my veins you want to dig into and you don't think it's any of my concern?" She stared at him, trying to stumble upon the conclusion herself. Caroline was completely thrown off about why he was suddenly so consumed with drinking her blood after his brother had nearly killed her when he did so. "It's because of Kol, isn't it? He shouldn't have drank from me and he did, then he rubbed it in your face and you got jealous so now you want to drink from me to, is that it?"

Klaus flashed in front of her yet again, the book in his hand launched against the wall. "He took what belonged to me and had the nerve to flaunt it in my face. If I had the power, I would have killed him forever. Life trapped in his coffin doesn't suit the punishment he should have had."

"I don't belong to you, even if my aunt sold me to your family. I'm not a possession." She couldn't believe the nerve of the hybrid in front of her. Actually she could, and it made her all the more angry.

"You are mine!"

"You want some of my blood? Then fine! I'll let you feel all high and mighty and have a drink if you give Stefan what he needs to save his life." He stared at her, obviously taken aback by her sudden agreement. "But I belong to myself, do you understand?"

"I understand that you believe that to be true."

* * *

The pair walked back into the billiard room, Caroline rushing to Stefan's side when she saw him laying facedown on the floor.

"He's not dead, is he?"

Klaus smirked at her question, no doubt uncaring of the worry in her voice. Didn't he understand the gravity of the situation? "Trust me love, you'll know when a vampire has died. Their bodies desiccate. It's quite a gruesome thing to watch the first few times." Klaus walked over to a table in the room, grabbing a crystal drinking glass.

"Are you seriously pouring yourself another drink? Stefan's dying over here. And you do realize if he dies then our deal is off, don't you?"

"Relax, love." Klaus looked at Caroline as he lifted his wrist, biting into it deeply. Clenching his fist, he let the blood drip from his already closing wound and into the glass before handing it to Caroline. "Save your friend, love." She looked at the glass in confusion. Sensing her question before she asked it, Klaus smiled down at her. "I don't usually allow anyone to drink from me. There's just something about you." With that, Klaus disappeared from the room, leaving the human to nurse the dying vampire back to life.

A few minutes later Stefan's coloring improved and he sat up, startled when he realized Caroline was sitting next to him on the floor.

"Care? How did you get him to let me have his blood?" She looked away from her friend, not wanting to admit anything aloud. Stefan grabbed her hands, making her look at him. When their gazes locked, all Caroline could see was the concern in Stefan's eyes. "Caroline, what did you do?"

Caroline didn't answer him back, just smiling sadly at her vampire friend.

Caroline wasn't exactly sure what she'd done, but she knew it would be life altering.

* * *

**SO, PRETTY MUCH ALL OF THE COMMENTS FOR CHAPTER 3 WERE ABOUT KLAUS AND CAROLINE BEING MATES. I WAS JUST GOING THAT THEY WERE DESTINED FOR ONE ANOTHER, BUT I LIKE THE SPIN Y'ALL HAD ON IT, SO I FIGURED CHAPTER 4 WOULD KIND OF HINT MORE ON KLAUS KNOWING SHE WAS HIS MATE/THAT SHE BELONGS WITH HIM.**

**ANYWAYS, I HOPE THIS STORY IS ADVANCING AT AN ACCEPTABLE PACE. :)**

**PLEASE FEEL FREE TO LEAVE ME MORE REVIEWS ON HOW YOU THINK THE STORY IS GOING! IT ALWAYS MAKES ME HAPPY TO HEAR FROM PEOPLE ABOUT IT**


	5. Chapter 5

A few weeks had passed since the incident with Stefan and Klaus. Stefan hadn't bothered staying more than five minutes after she'd saved his life, only giving her a heartfelt 'thank you' as he hastily departed the mansion, almost as if he was terrified of the inhabitants. Not that it would surprise her if younger vampires were afraid of the Originals. Was Stefan even considered young? One hundred years old seemed pretty elderly to her, but then again she was living in a house filled with vampires older than one thousand years old. So to them, Stefan was probably just a baby. Although Caroline was still a bit creeped out she was in the same math class in high school as a vampire. What the hell had he been doing in high school if he was so old? Especially if he didn't have to go? Creeeeeeeeeeeeper. Not to mention he was dating one of her best friends, who was only nineteen years old, just like Caroline. Did he not find the age difference a bit disconcerting? Caroline would have... Not that she was contemplating what a relationship with a vampire would be like. And definitely not an ancient vampire, because that would just be gross even if said vampire happened to have a gorgeous body/face/hair/accent.

_Ew, of course not_.

At first Caroline had been worried Stefan would tell Elena where she was and with who, but when no alarming text messages appeared on her phone a week after she had saved Stefan's life, Caroline knew she was in the clear. Although, she was fairly certain Elena had no idea she was dating a vampire and Caroline wasn't sure what to do about _that. _Tell her friend that she was dating someone who was over a hundred years old or just pretend like she didn't know anything? It was difficult to decide, especially since Elena's family was also one of the founders of Mystic Falls, so shouldn't the Gilbert's all know about the supernatural community? It wasn't something the two girls had ever brought up with one another, even when they went through that god-awful Twilight phase, but Caroline was extremely happy to know that vampires didn't _actually_ sparkle in the sunlight. They burned, which was why they had fancy jewelry spelled by witches to help them survive when exposed to the sun's rays.

Caroline shook her head, bringing her attention back to the task at hand.

The Mikaelson family (but pretty much Rebekah) was hosting a Masquerade ball and Caroline had been seeing to all the preparations. It was one of the few times being Miss Mystic Falls came in handy and Caroline had to admit she was fairly excited to be setting it up. From the flowers along the banisters, more flowers strewn strategically along the foyer and first floor, catering options, orchestras, champagne selections, etc. Caroline was in her element and nothing had made her feel more normal, which was always a perk, especially now that her life was anything but normal.

"We need some tables and table cloths set up in the back. Make sure to have four chairs with each table, just enough to keep it intimate. Avoid getting them too close to the pool." She directed a group of high school kids who were setting up for money. One of the teenagers rolled his eyes at her. Caroline put her best leader voice on. "Seriously. If I even see you **thinking** about setting any of these tables anywhere near the pool, I will make the last few years you have left in this town hell. Do you understand?" The teenagers audibly gulped before scurrying outdoors. "Okay, thank you!" Caroline smiled and waved at them happily, glad to see her orders were being met.

"I see you are making yourself at home, ordering about your minions." Rebekah came up from behind Caroline, inspecting what she could of the ballroom. "It looks rather lovely, Caroline. I knew placing the ball in your hands was a brilliant idea." Caroline wanted to roll her eyes.

She hadn't asked Rebekah to set up the party, but when Elijah had finally caved and allowed the blond Original to throw a party, she had panicked, ordering Caroline to do the job for her. _It's your duty to do as I say,_ was what Rebekah had told her and Caroline went along with it, mostly because she'd been bored waiting on Klaus to make his move and suck her blood, which he still hadn't.

In fact, Klaus had been keeping his distance from her ever since she'd agreed to let him munch on her veins. Caroline wasn't sure what he was waiting on, but for the past few weeks the suspense had been killing her. She was afraid he would just pop up at any moment and dig in and sometimes she was even afraid that she would like it. She'd been thinking about it over and over again, remembering the first time he'd tried to take her blood and how he had kissed her neck tenderly. She had been turned on which was terrible enough, but now she was more curious about what him feeding on her would be like as opposed to how much it would hurt.

However it felt, Caroline wished he would just do it already. Instead, after possessively calling her 'his' Klaus had pretty much disappeared from her radar, keeping a safe and respectable distance from the little blond human. Caroline should have felt relieved beyond measure that he was probably giving up whatever claim he thought he had on her, but instead she was a bit miserable from the lack of communication. The whole situation was beyond her and she couldn't even begin to properly decipher her emotions.

Caroline looked about the room, realizing Rebekah had been talking for the past few minutes. Feeling flustered, Caroline turned to Rebekah. "So have your brothers both decided to come tonight?"

Rebekah smiled happily. "Oh yes, Elijah mentioned something about bringing a date and I think Nik is coming as well." She frowned suddenly. "Although I will be so bloody pissed if he ruins my party. Nik ruins all of my fun," the blond pouted to Caroline, her arms crossed over her chest while she worried.

Caroline's heart picked up a notch at the mention of Klaus. "Is Klaus not bringing a date, then?" Rebekah glanced skeptically at Caroline, raising an eyebrow as she did so. "I don't care, honestly. I just need to have an accurate head count for all of the guests." Rebekah smirked before she began walking away, reminding Caroline of Klaus. "I'm serious! I really don't care!" Caroline shouted after the vampire, frantic thoughts forming in her head.

Did Rebekah think she was in to Klaus or something? Surely she didn't, right? Caroline hadn't given anybody that impression and she'd made it a point to steer clear of the hybrid. Or he had made it a point to steer clear of her... She wasn't exactly sure how that had worked out, but the point was they were ignoring each other. Didn't that practically boast indifference?

She shouldn't have asked if he was bringing a date, because that implied she was curious. Even heard excuse had sounded lame to her own ears when she'd hurled it in Rebekah's fleeting direction.

Caroline wanted to bang her head against one of the pillars that looped around the outer mansion, feeling ever the fool.

Caroline's planner senses began to tingle, alerting her to a dispute between coworkers happening along the back patio. Heading through the double doors that led from the ballroom out to the back, Caroline glared about both of the movers. "The Mikaelson's aren't paying you to whine about having to delicately move an ice sculpture from one of the lawn to the other, are they?" Both movers looked at her, slightly frightened by her tone. "No, they're paying you to quickly and efficiently move the ice sculpture. DELICATELY." She made it a point to stare at the movers until they followed her orders to the letter.

Once they were finished, Caroline stormed off back into the house, fretting over more last minute issues. "Do I have to do everything?" She picked up a fallen flower. "Seriously?!"

Little did Caroline know, someone was watching her from outskirts of the property.

* * *

A few hours later, Caroline finally managed to make her way to her bedroom. She only had an hour to get ready, but she was fairly certain she could be ready and downstairs before the first guests arrived. She was pretty used to how balls ran in Mystic Falls. The whole town never showed up precisely at the correct time, they merely trickled in within the first hour. It was practically a tradition.

Opening the door and stepping inside, Caroline immediately noticed a dress laid out along her bed, along with an envelope and a long black velvet box. She slowly made her way to the bed, glancing around her spacious room to see if anyone was lurking in one of the darker corners. Realizing she was alone, Caroline eyed the beautiful blue gown in front of her, appreciating the sequins and rhinestones that adorned it, as well as the varying shades of blue. She was sure it would match her skin tone perfectly, probably even her blue eyes.

Caroline looked back at her closet door and then back to the dress, confusion on her face. She had plenty of ballroom gowns in her closet and she hadn't worn any of them, but as Caroline eyed the gown, taking in more detail, she was fairly confident that it was a brand new dress, just for the occasion. She was almost positive she didn't have anything like it in her closet.

Caroline reached for the velvet box, sighing in delight when she opened it to find a beautiful bracelet covered in diamonds. If there was one thing Caroline knew, it was diamonds and the bracelet in the box was showered in them.

Gently setting down the box, Caroline reached for the envelope, not surprised to see her named scrawled across the front in cursive. It was her bedroom, after all. Caroline stared at it for a few minutes, uncertainty eating at her.

It would make perfect sense if the outfit was from Rebekah. Caroline _had_ worked extremely hard the past few weeks to make Rebekah's masquerade ball a hit. She'd hand delivered most of the invitations plus Caroline spent countless hours and sleepless nights prepping for the event. It would have been an extremely considerate gift from Rebekah to show her gratefulness at Caroline's hard work, but there was a slight problem.

Rebekah wasn't compassionate and she certainly wouldn't ever act grateful to or for Caroline, so she knew it had to be from one person.

No longer hesitating, Caroline opened the envelope slowly, sliding out a small white sheet with writing scrawled across it.

_'Save me a dance - Klaus_'.

* * *

The ball was in full swing and Caroline was proud of the turnout. Rather, she was proud Rebekah seemed to be having such a wonderful time. It really made Caroline want to celebrate all her hard work. Turning to a waiter who was passing through, Caroline stopped him and grabbed a glass of champagne from his tray before shooing him back to work. Caroline scoped out the room, noticing that almost the entire town had answered the party invitations and Caroline couldn't say she was surprised. The Mikaelson's were considered 'new' to the town and the townspeople were definitely too nosy to pass up an opportunity to check out the mansion on the outskirts of town, not that Caroline blamed them. The mansion was magnificent.

Glancing around the room for a certain hybrid that had yet to turn up, Caroline spotted Rebekah dancing with her friend Matt. Shock held Caroline in place for a few seconds, completely baffled by the scene before her. Caroline had known Rebekah had a crush on her friend from the time she introduced them at the Mystic Grill, but she hadn't expected him to act so carefree and happy around Rebekah, almost as if he'd known her for a while.

Then it clicked.

Rebekah had been acting shady for the past few weeks, always leaving the house in the early morning, staying out later than her brother Elijah deemed appropriate. From the look on Matt's face, Caroline was willing to bet Rebekah had been spending all of her time with him, Caroline's old boyfriend. Not that Caroline felt jealous, just slightly creeped out. It wasn't like Matt knew Rebekah was a vampire or that she was an antique, and that was worrying to Caroline. If Klaus would keep his sister locked in a box for years and years just because she dated someone Klaus didn't approve of, what did he do to the men Rebekah fooled around with? Caroline wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer, especially if it might end up involving Matt.

Caroline also spotted Elena and Stefan together, slightly irritated that they were dancing, yet again. Caroline should have been out there dancing, having a great time. Instead she was standing around like a wallflower, tending to even a hint of distress from the guests or the staff, ensuring Rebekah had an enjoyable evening. For some reason, Caroline had a sinking suspicion Rebekah would throw a huge vampire like tantrum if her night was spoiled in any fashion.

"I dare say, you look ravishing." Caroline's shoulders stiffened slightly, her heart beating like crazy inside of her chest at the british voice behind her. Turning slowly, Caroline's breath caught as she caught sight of Klaus in a tuxedo. She didn't think she'd ever seen anything more beautiful and she'd been to an N'SYNC concert when she was 12. Images of JC were forever thrown from her mind when she realized all she would ever think about again was Klaus Mikaelson in a tuxedo.

Caroline cleared her throat, willing her eyes to look anywhere but him. No wonder Rebekah thought her infatuated with the hybrid, she was practically undressing him with her eyes. "You should think I look decent considering I put on what you had laid out."

Klaus grabbed her gloved hand, bending down to kiss the bend in her wrist right below the bracelet he had given her.

"I didn't say decent. I believe my exact words were, 'you look ravishing'." Klaus repeated in a husky tone, causing Caroline's pulse to jump and her mouth to part slightly with lust. She jerked her hand away from his, fidgeting with the bracelet.

"I was beginning to think you weren't going to show up to your own sister's shindig." Caroline huffed, turning her attention back to the people dancing along the ballroom floor.

"Perhaps I had the proper motivation, love." Not wasting another moment, Klaus led Caroline to the dance floor as a waltz began.

"I know_ I_ wasn't your motivation," Caroline murmured sarcastically as Klaus twirled her. He pulled her back to his body until the only thing separating them were a few articles of clothing.

"Why would you say that?"

"I haven't seen you hardly at all since I forced your hand at saving Stefan's life." Klaus smirked.

"No one forces my hand, love."

Caroline rolled her eyes, matching his steps perfectly. "Would you prefer I say 'Coerced your hand' instead?" Klaus ignored her words even though he kept his eyes locked on hers.

Klaus brought her hand to rest against his chest as he wrapped his now free hand around her waist, tugging her ever closer to him. Caroline's cheeks heated when she felt herself pressed along nearly every inch of him. His eyes gazed down at her cheeks, a small smile playing on his lips when he realized she was incredibly turned on at the moment.

"You're a lovely dancer, Caroline."

She looked ahead, focusing on the dance rather than her current partner. "Yes well, I've had training. I used to be Miss Mystic Falls."

The music ended, allowing the participants on the dance floor to applaud, as was customary. Not bothering to clap, Klaus grabbed ahold of Caroline's hand, dragging her through the crowd and through the foyer. His pace didn't slow until they reached a darkened and abandoned room.

"Klaus, what are we doing-" Caroline didn't have time to finish her sentence. In the next instant she was lying on the floor, Klaus sprawled on top of her and his fangs sinking in to her neck.

Caroline's first reaction was the scream from the intensity of the pain, to punch at the body on top of her. A few seconds after the shock faded, however, and Caroline didn't feel any pain, only the sensation of lips brushing along the sensitive column of her skin and a languid sucking motion that caused a fire to start in her womb. Caroline moaned softly, completely embarrassed when the sound emerged without permission. This was nothing like the first experience with Kol. The younger brother had been vicious and purposefully harmful. He had meant to scare her

With Klaus it felt... Intimate. His body was flush over hers, his hands stroking either hers arms or grazing her sides, causing her womb to clench in anticipation when his hands caressed her stomach.

Caroline wrapped her hands around the back of his head, bringing him closer to her even as she turned her head to the side and allowed him more room. A few more minutes passed with the hybrid suckling gently at her neck before he retracted his fangs from her neck, licking gently at the wound. She shuddered from the sensations of his warm tongue on her skin, wishing he was licking her anywhere and everywhere.

Caroline let her hands fall back to her sides, staring up at Klaus's face. A trickle of her blood escaped his mouth and Caroline didn't think anything of it as she brushed it off his face with her thumb.

"So was it as wonderful as Kol said it would be?" Klaus remained silent, staring down at her with a brooding expression on his face. Caroline rolled her eyes before placing her thumb in her mouth to taste it for herself. A slight noise had Caroline looking up at the now golden eyes of the hybrid lying on top of her. She dragged her thumb out of her mouth, Klaus's eyes never leaving her lips. "I should probably go back to the party." Klaus stayed above her, not moving a muscle. "Klaus, I need to leave."

Klaus shook his head, almost coming out of some sort of blood coma before he stood reluctantly, gripping Caroline's arm and pulling her up effortlessly. The sudden shifting of the room caused Caroline to drift from side to side a moment before she no longer felt dizzy.

"I'm afraid I've taken a bit too much, love." Caroline waved away his words.

"It's fine, but just so we're clear, that was your freebie. Okay?" Klaus smirked at Caroline before he leaned down, his lips barely a breath away from her own. Her breath caught in her throat at the triumphant expression on his face.

"You and I both know that won't be the last time, Caroline." Klaus reached up and kiss Caroline's forehead before turning and whooshing from the room, leaving her all alone with her thoughts.

Caroline gripped the side of her neck, staring at the direction Klaus had disappeared.

"What the hell was that?" Caroline asked herself aloud before exiting the room.

Caroline wandered the halls for a few minutes, wondering where the hell she was and how she still hadn't explored the entire house by then. Looking from side to side, Caroline wasn't surprised when she bumped into a person.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Caroline exclaimed, immediately reverting into a doting hostess. She looked up and her charade collapsed in on itself when she noticed Damon Salvatore standing in front of her. "Oh, it's you. Shouldn't you be off torturing small animals or something?" Caroline had never been a fan of the older Salvatore brother.

"I'm more a fan of the humans, if you must know." Damon grabbed Caroline by the throat, pressing her uncomfortably against a wall in the hallway. Caroline began struggling, her arms smacking at Damon's chest, hoping to dislodge the Salvatore's hands from around her throat. "Ease up, blondie. I'm just a little hungry and then I promise I'll let you go."

Caroline struck out with her foot, hitting him in the shin as hard as she could. Damon let go of her, allowing Caroline to turn and flee from the Salvatore brother, her dress skirt hampering her movements down the long and empty hall.

Rough hands grabbed her from behind, slamming her into the nearest closed door. The impact caused the wood and Caroline to groan almost simultaneously.

"Klaus!"

Caroline only managed to shout once, Damon's hand coming to cover her mouth harshly. He looked down into her eyes, his pupils dilating as he spoke to her.

"You are going to shut the fuck up, blondie and let me have a bite of you."

Caroline was indecisive about what to do. Klaus had made her promise to act compelled, but she didn't want Damon Salvatore to drink her blood. He was a jackass, not to mention Klaus had nearly wiped out her supply only a few minutes ago.

Damon removed his hand, pushing the hair away from her neck and going in for a bite. He stopped with his head halfway to her vein before he jerked upright and looked her in the eyes again. "Who has been feeding on you?" Damon demanded.

"Klaus, the Original Hybrid." Caroline answered, hoping her response would make him leave her alone. She made sure to keep her tone even and bored, although she had no idea what compelled people actually acted like. When Damon merely stared back at her, Caroline added a few more words. "I belong to him and for him alone. He won't be pleased if you drink my blood."

And with that, Damon vanished before her eyes. Caroline sighed to herself before straightening her gown and heading back to the party.

* * *

"You were right, baby. The blond human is definitely Klaus's weakness." Damon Salvatore leaned down and kissed the beautiful brunette on the lips before trailing fiery kisses all the way down her neck.

The brunette smiled to herself before reaching down and grabbing Damon's crotch, enjoying when he hissed out a breath of surprise before groaning under her touch. Not wasting any time, the woman shoved Damon to the ground harshly, laughing a little when his head smacked along the floor. She leaned down and licked over his lips, crooning like a cat when his erection was more than evident in his pants.

"It's almost time to make Klaus pay," she whispered to her lover, unzipping his pants and climbing on top of him. "And you know how revenge turns me on."

* * *

**BUMBUMBUUUUUM.**

**I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter and please feel ****free to leave me feedback on if you liked it or even leave me feedback on where you would like to see the story! I have to admit, it was originally a bit longer, but when I went to save it, it only saved about half, so I had to improvise on what I had written and start from scratch, which is never fun.**

**ANYWHOOO, I hope I can have another chapter up sometime this weekend, so fingers crossed!**


	6. Chapter 6

Caroline rushed back into the ballroom, breathing a long sigh of relief when she thrust herself into the crowd. Surely Damon wouldn't reappear to try anything while she was in the presence of the Originals, right? Then again, Damon hadn't had any qualms about hurting her while he was INSIDE the Original's home, so Caroline wasn't sure if he would storm back into the ballroom and try to drink from her again.

Caroline shivered, rubbing her hands up and down her exposed arms. She winced when her hands landed on the marks from Damon's rough handling. Looking down, Caroline sighed when she saw the bruises already forming on her delicate skin.

Caroline had rushed into the ballroom with the single purpose of finding Klaus and informing him of her previous predicament, but now she wasn't sure what exactly she should do. On one hand she wasn't sure if Klaus would even care that Damon Salvatore had tried roughing her up before his attempt to drain her of blood and on the other hand she was afraid he would care too much and kill the Salvatore for touching Mikaelson property. Klaus was an enigma, a code Caroline didn't think she would ever be capable of cracking, but she had a suspicious feeling he wouldn't take too kindly to a vampire trying to take what Klaus felt was his. Caroline didn't want anyone to die because of her, even if it would be Damon Salvatore, the pompous ass.

Looking around the ballroom, Caroline realized Damon Salvatore was no where in sight, which should have reassured her immensely that she was safe.

Unfortunately, Caroline's eyes pinned a couple that had her shivering in equal parts fear and hate. Their eyes locked from across the crowded ballroom and Caroline backed up a step, instinct demanding she flee before they came for her.

Her Uncle David and Aunt Sophie began to approach her, hard glints in their eyes and cruel expressions on their faces. Caroline wanted to turn and run from them and their cruelty, but fear held her immobile. Years of them hitting her, grabbing her hair, locking her in a closet for hours on end and making her feel worthless came rushing back to the surface, breaking free of the dark box Caroline kept hidden in her mind. She thought living with the Mikaelson's would save her from ever having to see them again, and yet they were in the Original's home, stalking up to Caroline as if they had every right in the world to do so. Living with the Mikaelson's should have freed Caroline from the torment of her aunt and uncle, yet seeing them approach, Caroline knew she was as much their prisoner as she had always been.

She didn't think she could ever escape the tormentors before her.

What were they doing there? Caroline hadn't sent them an invitation and she highly doubted Rebekah would have either. Once she realized she was towards the back of the room in the less occupied area of the ballroom, Caroline made the decision to turn tail and run. She had absolutely no desire for another confrontation. Being chased down by a vampire was one thing; something she couldn't avoid. Fortunately, if Caroline played her cards right, she could disappear before they caught up to her. Spinning around and away from the sadistic pair, Caroline high heels clacked loudly around her, but they weren't nearly as loud as the steady pounding of her heart.

"Caroline." Sophie called out when Caroline made her decision to flee the immediate area. Stiffening her shoulders, Caroline turned back to her 'family', knowing she'd been caught. "Darling, surely you weren't just about to leave." The older woman reached out, her hand nearly touching Caroline's hair before Caroline jerked back, panic in her eyes.

"Don't touch me." Caroline whispered harshly, looking about the room to ensure she hadn't caused a scene in front of the entire town. Rebekah would be pissed if her party was ruined.

David, who had been silent before, stepped forward, grabbing Caroline roughly by her arms, in the exact same spot Damon had grabbed so roughly only moments before. "You look like you've been enjoying your time here, Caroline. In fact," David released one of her arms as he pushed her roughly into the wall behind her as used his free hand to jerk her chin to one side, revealing the bite marks left by Klaus. "It seems to me you've become one of their whores. How lovely, a Mikaelson plaything." David looked to his wife, noting the enraged expression upon her face. "See, blossom? I knew Kol had tired of you, no doubt due to your much younger, more beautiful niece." David let his eyes wander slowly up and down Caroline's body, pausing to admire her breasts that moved up and down with her short spurts of breath. Caroline cringed under his scrutiny, wanting to cover her body from his immediate view, but she suspected his looks were to make her squirm and Caroline didn't want to give in, to show any more weakness than she already had.

Caroline's eyes widened at the accusation. She looked to her aunt, realizing a scene was definitely about to happen when the older woman took a menacing step forward, grabbing Caroline's long blond hair and twisting it around her fist. When Caroline winced in pain, Sophie jerked her head back, exposing the long column of her throat, as well as the new bite mark. "You little slut. I'll make sure you pay for ever laying your eyes on my dear Kol. He might fancy you now, but he'll tire of you quickly. He always tires of his little whores before he makes his way back to me."

Caroline felt anger spark deep within her, before she looked her aunt directly into her eyes, defiance blazing in her own. "I am not a whore and Kol didn't do this to me. Release me now."

David and Sophie looked at each other before they both laughed, the sound grating on Caroline's ears.

"Or what?" Sophie asked.

"Or I'm going to rip your husband apart slowly, limb by limb to ensure you watch in horror as he's tortured for hours before he eventually dies right in front of your eyes. If you think that's unbearable, imagine the plans I have in store for you." Klaus appeared out of nowhere, lurking behind the couple who now stood rigid, slowly releasing Caroline until she was free to rush past them and stand next to Klaus, which was exactly what she did. "Are you alright, love?" Klaus gazed at Caroline, looking her up and down and taking note of the bruises forming along her arms. Klaus turned, his eyes a golden beam of fury as he captured the two humans in his vision. "You will go home at once, beat each other until you can barely stand then you will kill yourselves before dawn comes. I don't care how you kill yourselves, but be creative." Caroline gasped at his orders, noticing how angry he was. Her aunt and uncle, on the other hand, seemed content to follow his orders to the letter, barely batting an eyelash at his compulsion. "Leave." Klaus demanded through clenched teeth, not even bothering to see their reaction as he grabbed Caroline's hand, leading her away from the ballroom and outside.

The fresh air helped calm her momentarily and it settled deep into her lungs as she inhaled deeply before turning to look at Klaus.

"Did you have to do that?"

"Do what, love?"

"Tell them to go kill themselves!"

Klaus stepped menacingly towards Caroline and she would have shrank back in fear, however, she decided she'd been frightened enough for one evening and because of that, she straightened her back and glared back at him. She wouldn't be afraid, she refused to be afraid any longer.

"They threatened you, put their hands on you and called you a whore. What would you have had me do?" Klaus's eyes remained the same golden hue, veins rushing under his eyes as he stalked up to her, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her against him.

Caroline gasped, although it wasn't in fear. The last time his eyes had been like that around her he'd been feeding on her. She flushed from the memory, her skin turning a delicate pink.

"I... I don't know. But do they really deserve to die because of that? I'm fine. They scared me a bit, but that was all." She knew she wasn't worth people dying over, she just wasn't sure if Klaus realized that too.

"I will kill anyone and everyone that threatens you. " Klaus shouted at her before she clamped her hand over his mouth, her palm tingling at the smooth lips connecting with them.

"Sh! Rebekah will freak out if we cause a scene at her party. Do you want to deal with her on a rampage? Because I don't."

Keeping a tight hold on Caroline's waist, Klaus whooshed them away from everyone and towards the greenhouse on the property, stopping when they reached the entrance. Caroline's hands were wrapped around the back of Klaus's neck, the sudden sensation of movement making her slightly dizzy as she clutched to him for comfort.

"Easy, love. I've got you." His grip tightened on her waist, bringing her as close to his body as possible. Caroline stared at his lips, remembering the feel of them along the smooth column of her neck. Klaus leaned in to her, their lips almost touching before he growled lowly in his throat, jerking his body away from Caroline's. The sudden loss of contact left Caroline feeling bereft and cold, finally acknowledging the low temperature, which was odd, considering it was August. Klaus glared at her from his safe location, inhaling deeply before his eyes locked on to hers yet again.

"You smell like Damon Salvatore." Caroline gulped and took a protective step back. Hadn't she just promised herself she would be stronger than her fear? Klaus looked at her as if he smelled something rotten. "His stench is practically all over you."

"I..." Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit. He could smell Damon on her? Why didn't she think of that whenever she'd escaped his clutches and decided to keep silent?

"Perhaps I was too quick to judge your aunt's words. Maybe you are just a whore." Hurt radiated through Caroline and before she knew it, she was stomping over to him, her heels digging into the grass slightly as she moved. Caroline was quick about it, reaching up with her right hand and slapping him across the face. Caroline would have felt ashamed, should have felt ashamed, but Klaus could have moved away had he wanted to do so. When he merely stared back at her with contempt, Caroline spoke up.

"I am not a whore." Her voice cracked at the last word before she turned from him, determined to make her way back to the party. "And for your information, Damon Salvatore put those bruises on my arms, not my uncle." Caroline's hair flew past her from the sudden breeze and then Klaus was in her face, no doubt the cause of the onslaught of her hair. Caroline sighed. She should have been enjoying her evening and instead she'd been fed on, attacked twice and insulted within the space of two hours.

"What did Damon Salvatore do to you?" Caroline groaned aloud before attempting to push past Klaus. Irritation clouded her mind when he gripped her hand in his, refusing to let her pass him. "Answer me." Klaus's voice rose dramatically, the words ground out from him as if the question he asked tormented his very soul. If he had one.

Sighing, Caroline turned back to him, hesitantly pulling on her hand before she gave up and allowed him to keep hold of it. "He caught me in the hallway outside of the room you had led me to. He threw me against a wall and when I called out for you he tried to compel me. I remembered you telling me to act compelled, so I did. He went to feed on me," Klaus growled low in his throat, "but he noticed the bite mark already on my neck and asked where it originated. I told him it came from you. He was pretty eager to leave once he knew that."

"I'll kill him for his transgressions against you."

Caroline laughed aloud, the whole situation beyond preposterous. "You can't kill everyone who causes me pain, physically or mentally."

"I can and I will. You shouldn't have to be afraid of anyone or anything."

"If you keep saying things like that someone's bound to think you actually care about humans."

"Not humans, love. Just you."

Caroline sucked in a deep breath. "Why?"

Klaus smirked at her. "I fancy you. Is that so hard to believe?"

"Yes."

Klaus slowly dragged her back to him, his hands wrapping around her waist yet again. Her body betrayed her, immediately sinking in to the heat he was giving off. Her hands gripped his shoulders to keep her from falling into him, even though her body desperately thought it was a fantastic idea. Klaus removed one of his hands from her waist, bringing it up to cup her cheek tenderly as he smiled down at her. Before Caroline could react, Klaus bent his head, his lips brushing across hers. It was featherlight and stole the breath right out of her lungs. Before long, the kiss went from chaste to passionate as she wrapped her hands around his neck, dragging Klaus and his lips closer to her own. Hunger ripped through her, Klaus biting down on her bottom lip before sucking it into his mouth, dragging a moan out of her. Klaus's grip on her waist tightened, dragging the rest of her body flush against him. Caroline felt herself being pushed back until she was pressed along a tree trunk and couldn't go anywhere, in-between Klaus and the bark behind her.

It should have frightened her, mostly because she was making out with a creature over a thousand years old, but as her lips parted to make way for his tongue, all of Caroline's thoughts went out the window.

Klaus's tongue invaded her mouth, their tongues dueling until her womb clenched so violently Caroline was sure she was on the brink of an orgasm. Caroline's hands wandered from Klaus's shoulders to his neck and into his hair, her fingers winding around the small curls located above his tuxedo. Klaus's hands brushed slowly along her waist before he reached behind and grabbed her ass, dragging her body so that she was flush against his erection. The only thing separating them from having sex was their clothing.

Caroline pulled away suddenly, instantly afraid of what she was doing. Taking a deep breath, Caroline looked at Klaus quickly before dropping her arms to her sides and slipping out of his embrace, almost as if she'd never been there.

"I should... I should probably go. You know, get back to the party." Caroline laughed quickly, a short burst of awkward sound that immediately made her want to faint from embarrassment. Not that she wasn't already embarrassed. She nearly had an orgasm just KISSING Klaus and she wasn't about to experience anything else. Seriously. Turning in the opposite direction, Caroline set off on her journey, walking mostly on her tiptoes to keep her heels from sinking into the ground.

"You're walking in the wrong direction, love."

Caroline turned abruptly, pausing a moment to glare at Klaus's smug face before she departed in the other direction, back ramrod straight when she heard his mocking laughter from behind her.

"More to your right, Caroline."

"Ugh," Caroline practically screeched. She turned and placed her hands on her hips, glaring at the hybrid who stood behind her. "Why don't you just walk me back to the party? It's your fault I'm wandering out here like an idiot anyway."

"My pleasure, love." Klaus wrapped one of her hands around the crook of his elbow, escorting her back to the party she was practically hosting.

Caroline sighed in relief when they were back among the crowd of people. Not bothering to thank Klaus, Caroline hurried away from him and rejoined the festivities, hoping to put most of the evening out of her mind forever.

For the rest of the night Caroline kept rethinking the kiss over and over, eventually falling asleep after the ball wishing Klaus's lips were still on her own.

* * *

"The ball was so wonderful! Wasn't it wonderful, brother?" Rebekah turned to face Elijah, who was sitting comfortably at the dining room table as he read the morning paper. Elijah looked up and smiled at the two women sitting at the kitchen counter.

"Yes, Rebekah, the party was quite sensational. I believe we owe Ms. Forbes our gratitude for all her hard work." Caroline smiled at the praise as she sipped at the tea Rebekah had given her. It was odd but Rebekah and Elijah almost always had tea waiting for her in the mornings, insisting she drink it. At first it had tasted odd, a bit coppery, but Caroline had grown accustomed to the flavor and honestly, she didn't mind it as much as she did in the beginning.

"Yes! Although I'm sorry your family was there." Rebekah gave Caroline a sad look before her face brightened exponentially. "Oh, I just forgot! I need to leave." And with that Rebekah flashed from the room, leaving Caroline and Elijah alone together.

Caroline looked down at her tea mug, wondering if she should leave the room rather than sit in awkward silence with Elijah. She wasn't sure exactly what it was about the Original that bothered her, but they almost never spoke. Caroline felt as if he were indifferent to her and she wasn't sure how she felt about it. Caroline cleared her throat before standing up from her chair, grabbing her mug as she stood.

"Don't forget to drink your tea, Caroline." Elijah continued reading his newspaper, barely looking up from the pages as he spoke out.

Caroline grimaced when she noticed how much she had left to drink. Sighing, Caroline placed the mug to her lips, drinking deeply until nothing remained in the mug but a teabag. She walked towards the kitchen area before stopping and turning to face Elijah.

"Why do you all want me to drink tea all the time?"

Elijah looked up, obviously not expecting the question. Caroline put her hands on her hips, tea mug dangling from one of her fingers as she stared menacingly at the man in front of her. "Is there something in this tea?"

"Only something to keep you safe while you're in our care." Elijah folded his paper neatly before standing up and walking over to Caroline, gently taking the mug from her grasp. "Unlike your family who was willing to sell you for a quick profit, my siblings and I are only interested in your happiness and wellbeing."

"But why?"

Elijah placed his free hand on her shoulder, in a sort of comforting gesture. "Because you're in our care. Human life is a fragile thing and we only mean to extend yours and to keep it healthy. If you'll excuse me, I'll clean this for you."

Elijah walked past Caroline, not giving her any time to reply before he left the room, disappearing behind a swinging door.

Caroline walked from the room, heading down a long hallway and towards the staircase that eventually led to her bedroom, Elijah's words echoing in her mind. What on Earth were they putting into her tea? Vitamins? Caroline scoffed at the idea, fairly confident that no one in the mansion had ever purchased vitamins in their long lives, especially in the interest of someone else. So what then?

Reaching her bedroom door, Caroline stopped in her tracks, hand nearly reaching the door knob. A cold chill went down her spine, causing her to shiver uncontrollably for a brief moment.

They were putting vampire blood in her tea.

Caroline rushed into her room, slamming the door shut behind her and running towards her vanity. Opening a drawer, she found what she was looking for, a small needle and thread. Grabbing the needle, Caroline pricked her finger deeply, flinching at the sudden pain and watching as blood welled up from the small wound. Taking a deep breath, Caroline wiped the blood onto the edge of her shirt, not caring about the stain. Pinching her wounded finger, Caroline's eyes widened when after a few seconds, no blood formed on the tip of her finger. She brought her finger closer to her eye, searching for a wound that was no longer there, confirming her suspicions.

They were feeding her vampire blood.

Caroline wanted to gag, to rush to the toilet and vomit up all traces of the tea in her system, but she couldn't. She'd been drinking that tea for weeks, there was no way she'd be capable of ridding herself of all the toxins in her system.

Shaking her head, Caroline felt the walls shrinking around her as her breathing became shallow and sweat beaded on her forehead. She needed to get out of there, to breathe fresh air, to focus on something other than the fact she was drinking blood in her morning tea.

Caroline turned, leaving the room nearly as fast as a vampire, fear aiding her departure, stomping down the stairs and rushing towards the main door, yanking it open and running down the driveway.

Caroline stopped when she reached the end, bending to place her hands on her knees and inhaling, attempting in vain to stop the panic attack that was quickly creeping along her senses. It was one thing to drink vampire blood if she was gravely injured. She wouldn't argue that, nor would she ever feel grossed out about drinking blood directly from Klaus, because... Well, because it felt intimate, right. Secretly digesting blood someone dumped into your morning concoction was just wrong. Sinister. Disgusting.

Caroline clenched her teeth, the contents of her early morning breakfast threatening to come back up full force.

After a few minutes Caroline's headache retreated to a dull throb, her lungs burning from the labored breathing. Caroline straightened and looked around, making sure no one was watching her inner struggle. Deciding the coast was clear, Caroline decided to take a quick walk around the grounds to effectively clear her mind from some of her newer revelations.

Caroline walked aimlessly towards the back of the property, her head swimming with tension. Why would the Originals be feeding her vampire blood? Elijah said it was to keep her healthy, but Caroline didn't believe that answer for one moment. She doubted they gave their blood to any of their other 'servants'. In fact, Caroline couldn't remember seeing any 'servants' like herself that were in fact, human. The rest of the help were vampires, which made perfect sense considering Elijah, Rebekah and Klaus enjoyed eating people for dinner. Vampires were the ideal help compared to a human, which also begged the question, why would they pay any amount of money for a human they didn't know? Surely after a thousand years they knew how to get their own party started or how to shop without the assistance of a human. Surely.

Besides, Caroline wondered, if the Mikaelson's did in fact purchase her to be their assistant/helper/whatever else, then why was it she wasn't doing anything of the sort? Sure, she'd planned Rebekah's party, but it wasn't as if she'd been doing anything else in the meantime. Maybe the Mikaelson's didn't think she was capable of multi-tasking... But that didn't seem to be the reason to Caroline. No, it seemed like something else, only she couldn't figure out what it might have been.

_Why are they even so concerned for my wellbeing that they find it necessary to feed me vampire blood daily? Obviously they believe I could wind up getting hurt while I work for them, maybe that's why they're going through such lengths to ensure I'm safe. They have enemies._

The thoughts no sooner formed in Caroline's mind before a branch nearby snapped, breaking her concentration.

Caroline turned toward the sound, her brow furrowing in question when she couldn't find any person or animal nearby that would have broken a branch. She did notice that the sun was rather high in the sky, meaning she'd been wandering the grounds for at least two hours. Caroline looked about but the house was further away than she'd anticipated because she couldn't see it at all.

"Just great." She turned around abruptly, stalking back in the direction she'd come from. "I hope I don't get lost." Caroline groaned loudly. "Oh who am I kidding? Of course I'll get lost. I'm such an idiot."

"Well Barbie, I have to give you some credit for calling it like you see it."

Caroline looked to her right, expecting to see Damon Salvatore standing where she'd heard his voice, but to her dismay, no one was around her. At least, no one she could see. Not one to slow down where danger was concerned, Caroline starting running toward the direction of the mansion, hoping like hell it was ACTUALLY the direction she was needing.

"Don't you know that running won't save you? Although I do like to play with my food before I eat it." The words were practically whispered into her ear. Caroline could feel the heat of Damon Salvatore's breath along her skin.

"Klaus! Elijah!" Caroline shouted, hoping like hell the Originals would come to her aid.

"They can't help you. Don't you understand yet? You belong to us." Elena stepped from behind a tree, whooshing until she stood before Caroline, fangs descending from her top row of teeth. Caroline halted at once, taking a hesitant step back from the woman in front of her.

She'd just seen Elena last night and she'd been human. Caroline was sure of it.

"Who the hell are you?"

The doppleganger smirked before walking casually up to Caroline, grabbing her by the throat and lifting her off her feet. It was slightly awkward, given that Caroline was the taller of the two, but the method proved effective when Caroline's oxygen supply began to dwindle.

"Katarina, although people nowadays refer to me as Katherine." Caroline gripped the wrist of the person trying to kill her, digging her nails in roughly as her vision darkened slightly.

Katherine dropped Caroline and the blond took the opportunity to suck in a deep breath, letting the sweet air fill her lungs. Caroline tried to stand up but found herself flat on her back, Katherine standing over her menacingly.

"Klaus has ruined my life and I plan on returning the favor. Go ahead, Caroline. Call for him again."

She wasn't about to let some Elena Gilbert lookalike boss her around and Caroline wasn't going to do anything that would hurt Klaus, no matter what Katherine and Damon had planned in their pea brains. She couldn't let Klaus face any danger, it didn't matter to her whether or not he might have been invincible. Nothing lasts forever, Caroline knew that without a shadow of a doubt.

"What are you going to do to him?" Caroline used her elbows to scoot herself back from Katherine, standing slowly to her feet as she cleared her sore throat. She looked the woman up and down, hoping to find a weakness. Settling upon a necklace Katherine had on, a thought formed in Caroline's head.

The sun was still out and shining brightly in the sky and the only piece of jewelry Caroline could see on the vampire in front of her was that necklace. If she could just get it away from Katherine, perhaps it would give her enough time to make it into the mansion and out of harms way.

But what about Damon?

Caroline looked around her, still not seeing any sign of the elder Salvatore brother. What if he came after her while Katherine was burning in the sunlight? Caroline knew she couldn't escape them both, especially him.

Without pausing to think of her actions, Caroline grabbed the necklace Katherine wore, ripping it from her body. Less than a second later flames erupted on and around the vampire, an inhuman shriek sounding from her lips as she caught fire. Caroline fled the scene, the smell of burning flesh following in her wake.

"Klaus!" Caroline shouted again, breathing a sigh of relief when she came upon the mansion less than two hundred feet away. Klaus emerged from the back of their home, a concerned look on his face when he saw Caroline sprinting towards him.

She was safe!

Caroline smiled awkwardly, not allowing her body to slow down as she looked at the hybrid before her. The look of confusion on his face turned to horror in an instant. A moment later, Caroline felt the sharp sting of something along her upper torso.

Klaus's roar of outrage echoed throughout the area as Caroline felt her legs give out from under her. She landed on her legs, her body swaying as she toppled backwards. Before she could fall all the way, Klaus was knelt down beside her, holding her against his body.

Caroline looked down to where one of his hands were, surprised to find a thick tree branch protruding through her stomach.

"Oh my God. Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God." Caroline choked out over and over, not knowing what to do as blood began to slowly trickle from her mouth.

Klaus grabbed the stick in one hand, ripping it smoothly from her body as she choked on her own blood.

Elijah was beside them a few seconds later, shaking his head at his brother. "Whoever it was has escaped. Their trail ends a mile from our border." He cast a long look at Caroline before returning his attention to his brother. "You need to feed her. She hasn't been getting enough blood in her tea to heal this type of injury."

Klaus gathered Caroline into his arms, holding her bleeding and broken body close to his heart. Caroline's mind began to drift as her injury felt further and further away from her. Her muscles relaxed, her body pliant in his arms. Was this how death was? Peaceful towards the end?

"I should just let her die." Klaus spit out, no doubt angry over something, although Caroline couldn't remember what.

"The choice has been yours since the beginning, brother. Whatever you decide, you should make it quick."

Klaus wasted no more time, biting into his wrist and pressing the wound to Caroline's mouth, forcing her to feed.

The only problem was, her breathing had stopped only moments before.

Caroline Forbes was dead.


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry for not updating in a week or so, I actually went to Barcelona this past weekend and I just got back! Anywhoo, I'm hoping to make this chapter a little bit longer, just to appease you all for having to wait so long!**

**Okay, I hope y'all enjoy this next chapter! I'm trying to keep Klaus as close to his blood thirsty nature as possible and by that I mean, I want him to be as accurate in this story as he is in the show. Isn't that why we all looooooove him? Besides the fact that he's obviously gorgeous. SWOON. **

**Anyways, please feel free to leave me some reviews!**

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Caroline awoke slowly, acutely aware of the aches plaguing her entire body. Her head, her stomach, her limbs, even her heart ached sluggishly as her eyes drowsily took in her dark surroundings. She knew she was underground somewhere. If the dim lighting wasn't enough, Caroline noticed the walls were some type of foundation commonly used in cellars, but she didn't care that she was downstairs, most likely in the basement mansion. She barely even cared that she was locked in a prison cell or that her left ankle had a menacing chain wrapped around it. All Caroline could focus on was the pain engulfing her body and mind, surrounding her. She wasn't a violent type of person yet the thought of ending her own agony made her relish in the thought of causing another the same kind of pain, if not more of it. She wanted anyone and everyone to suffer and Caroline needed to eat something, she was practically enraged at the hunger beating at her.

Caroline felt... wrong.

And so very hungry.

Caroline sat up gingerly, hoping to keep as much of her body from feeling anything as possible. As soon as she was upright, her head began pounding even worse as her teeth began to ache and her stomach nearly growled in anguish. She was starving. Ravished. Her body shook uncontrollably even as her throat dried at the thought of quenching the now unbearable thirst that consumed her mind and body.

An image of her morning tea popped into her mind, Caroline's mouth salivating when she pictured the taste of it touching the tip of her tongue. She wanted the concoction more than she had wanted anything in her entire life, even more than she had wanted her own freedom from her family and from the Mikaelson's. She didn't care about anything anymore, only the taste she was being denied by being locked downstairs. The thought of the blood she'd been given daily made her insides churn in delight and at the same time a part of herself wanted to retch at the thought of drinking her fill of any blood she could get her hands on.

What was wrong with her?

Did she even care?

Caroline stood from the cot in the corner of the jail cell, certain it had only been placed there to see to a tiny bit of her own comfort.

Had Damon Salvatore captured her before she'd made it to Klaus and Elijah? A memory flashed before her eyes, causing her to wince in pain at the remembered sunlight.

She'd seen Klaus, had been running towards him, feeling safe. Then his face had changed from concern to fear before the steady wall of his anger had consumed her. Caroline remembered being in pain and Klaus holding her.

_"I should just let her die."_

_"The choice has been yours since the beginning, brother. Whatever you decide, you should make it quick."_

Klaus and Elijah's voices echoed throughout her head, almost sounding as if they were in the basement with her, but she knew that wasn't true. What had they done to her? Klaus couldn't have let her die, she was standing, albeit very shakily, downstairs from her bedroom. Dead people didn't just walk around.

_Unless they were vampires._

The thought formed unbidden in Caroline's mind, echoing repeatedly until the blonde gripped the sides of her head, crying out in pain from the constant onslaught of words. She fell to her knees, uncaring of the cement floor her knees connected with, only concerned about where her thoughts were leading her.

She'd been drinking vampire blood unknowingly for weeks, possibly even longer. She knew from reading her family journals that it was definitely possible to be turned into a vampire if you died with vampire blood in your system. Discovering vampire blood in her morning tea was the entire reason she'd gone traipsing through the mansion grounds in the first place, wasn't it? And Klaus had let her die and Elijah had condoned it, knowing she would turn into some sort of freakshow.

A monster.

Caroline whimpered in pain and fear as another pang of hunger hit her hard. She would have collapsed to her knees from the pain if she hadn't already found herself on the cold, hard ground, clutching her head as tears seemed to fall down her face. Was the constant pain what it was like to be a vampire?

_Transition... _The thought came unbidden to Caroline's mind, almost like a fluttering of wings before it disappeared, leaving Caroline bereft of the knowledge locked away in her mind. Transitioning into a vampire only lasted a certain length of time during which a newly changed vampire had to feed or they would die, passing on to whatever next life awaited them. How much time did she have left before she eventually died from lack of blood? Did she care?

No. Caroline wanted the pain to end. In fact, she found herself welcoming death as long as it would hurry along. Going by the pain in her body, Caroline didn't think she had much time left before she died again. All she had to do was wait for the sweet release of death, but it frightened her, the unknown.

Her emotions escalated the longer she was left alone until finally she heard movement from up above her. A door opened, causing Caroline to gasp, flinging herself back until she was huddled into a corner of the cell, making herself into a little ball on the floor, hoping to go unnoticed.

She knew it was futile, seeing as how whoever was coming down the stairs was coming there to see her. To hurt her. Who would it be? Klaus or Elijah? Maybe Rebekah had taken part of the plan and it was her Caroline would encounter momentarily. The thought was a daunting one and filled Caroline's heart with pain until she was sure it would burst from the heartache. The Originals were supposed to care for her, to protect her, and they'd done something unforgivable.

Caroline buried her head into her arms, moaning in distress at the pain and fear that seemed to be constantly swirling around her. She was so caught up in her own fear she had barely realized more than one person was approaching until she picked up an erratic heartbeat with her hearing. Caroline's head jerked up, her eyes locking on a young woman who was being led in her direction, Klaus gripping her arm tightly as they approached the door to her cell.

Everything in her demanded Caroline rush to them, rip the woman out of his grasp and dig into her carotid artery until her heartbeat eventually stopped, giving Caroline a respite from the noise that caused an even more intense pounding throughout her skull. The thought repulsed her even as it made her long for something to quench the ever increasing thirst that seemed to grow around her until it was all she could think about. She wanted the blood. No, she craved it. Needed it like she needed oxygen to breathe. If she even still needed oxygen.

Caroline's eyes locked on to the pair as they reached her cell door. Klaus used a key, a sharp scraping of metal on metal as the door unlocked. Klaus then proceeded inside, shoving in the woman ahead of him until he could turn and shut the door once again.

"Hello, love." Klaus looked down at Caroline's huddled form, a slight crease in his forehead. "Did you not want the cot?"

Caroline practically hissed at him as he approached her, sinking further into the wall as she could get. "What did you do to me?" Klaus paused his approach, looking down at her before returning to the silent woman's side.

"I think you already know the answer to that, Caroline."

"You let me die. You said you wanted to protect me and you just let me bleed to death on your back lawn."

"I'm afraid it's a bit more complicating than that, love."

Another wave of hunger made Caroline cry out in pain as she clenched her hands to her side, hoping the next wave would pass soon. Klaus walked over to her, kneeling down until Caroline was forced to look into his eyes.

"You need to feed, Caroline. The hunger will only get worse unless you give in to it." Caroline shook her head in denial, flinching when Klaus cupped her cheek with his hand. She wanted to shove him away from her, demand he leave her alone, but another part of her craved the contact. It demanded she give in to whatever she desired, blood, sex, comfort. It wanted her to take anything and everything she wanted. Caroline closed her eyes as another tear escaped.

"I know what happens if I drink blood. I'll become a monster." She opened her eyes, noting the hardened expression on Klaus's face to her words. His stony expression frightened her, immediately sending her on alert. She knew he was going to do something she didn't like. She could feel it all the way to her soul. "Please don't." Couldn't she just die in peace?

Klaus wiped away another of Caroline's tears before he stood up, dragging the woman to stand before Caroline. "You will drink from her, do you understand?"

"No."

"You will do as I command, love."

"No, I won't." Her voice sounded as weak as her will.

Not wasting any time, Klaus bent down, yanking her to her feet and practically throwing her at the motionless woman.

"Feed!" He shouted at her, his eyes turning gold with his anger. Caroline flinched, forcing herself to look away from him.

"I won't."

"Then you leave me no choice but to see to your compliance." Klaus grabbed the young woman, sinking his fangs deep into her throat, clutching her to him as she squirmed in panic. Caroline stood motionless, horror etched on her face as she watched him feed. Another dark part whispered across her mind like a seduction, demanding she join him and drink as much as she wanted. Fighting an inner battle, she held on to her resolve, feeling a small sense of relief that the end was almost near.

The blood he drank called to her, but Caroline remained rooted in the same spot. Caroline watched as the woman went limp, the last of her blood falling to the floor as Klaus dropped her. He stepped over the woman, stalking to Caroline before she knew his intent, before she saw that his mouth was still full of blood.

He was going to force her to feed, one way or another.

"No!" Caroline shouted as he descended upon her, forcing his mouth over hers, pulling down on her jaw until her mouth opened and human blood fell from his mouth and into hers. Caroline wanted to rebel from the contact, but her body soaked up the blood Klaus provided, her tongue forcing its way into his mouth to take every last drop she could from him, to provide her with as much nourishment as she could. It was intoxicating, liberating. Terrible. Wrong.

The blood Klaus gave empowered Caroline, made her bolder. She wrapped her hands in his hair, dragging him to her as she wrapped her legs around his waist, only slightly annoyed with the chain on her leg. Drunk off of the blood he provided, Caroline gave in to the other emotions pouring through her. Her desire beat at her as she deepened the kiss, pressing herself as closely to Klaus's growing erection as she could. Caroline broke the kiss even as she tightened her legs around his waist, enjoying the way he hissed as her center moved even closer to him. She kissed his cheek, his jaw and all the way to the pulse beating along the side of his neck. Caroline licked the skin covering his artery, humming softly to herself as Klaus moaned her name.

He set Caroline down for a moment and an instant later her jeans were missing, replaced by his roaming hands as he removed her panties. Caroline groaned when he lifted her up easily, letting her wrap her legs around his waist as his hands cupped her ass, dragging her right up to the erection trying to break free from his leather pants. Caroline hissed at the contact before Klaus pushed her up against a wall, one hand moving to free his erection.

Caroline's eyes widened at the sight of it before her eyes glazed over in lust. Caroline moved her hips forward as she grabbed his cock, pushing him inside of her until he was buried to the hilt in her body. Their eyes locked for a brief moment, lost in their all consuming passion before Klaus began thrusting harshly into her body. Caroline felt every thrust along her inner walls, moaning in pleasure as he pushed her harder along the concrete wall, his hands gripping her ass tightly. Her legs widened even further, giving him more access as Caroline's eyes wandered to the exposed area of his neck, her hunger beating at her yet again.

She leaned in to him, wrapping her hands around his back, matching him thrust for thrust as she let her ever lengthening teeth focus on his artery.

Caroline sank her teeth deeply into his vein, groaning in pleasure.

"Caroline," Klaus groaned out, moving from the wall and dropping them onto the cot, Caroline flat on her back as Klaus repositioned himself to take her even further until the tip of his cock pounded into the back wall of her vagina. Caroline moaned in delight, her whole body shaking. Thrust after thrust sent her higher until she was floating in a wave of ecstasy. Caroline pulled her mouth from his throat just in time to cry out as her orgasm overtook her. Her inner walls clenched tightly, gripping the head of Klaus's cock until his own orgasm occurred, his seed pouring into her.

Caroline gasped, trying in vain to catch her breath as she stared at the man above her. She reached her hand up to caress his cheek, only to let it drop back to her side as regret instantly cooled her already building desire.

"I don't want to be a vampire." Caroline looked at him brokenly. Klaus's eyes flashed for a moment before his face hardened, a smirk forming on his face.

"You have a terrible way of proving that, love." Klaus sat up, pushing himself back into his pants as he stood up.

Caroline looked at the floor, her blood turning cold in her veins as she noticed the dead woman lying in the corner of the jail cell.

"Oh my God." Klaus followed her eyes with his own before they came upon the corpse in the corner.

Caroline thought she was going to vomit everywhere. What had she been thinking? It was bad enough she slept with the man who changed her into a vampire, but she slept with him next to a dead woman? A chill worked its way through her body before Caroline tried to flee, an unexpected burst of speed propelling her out of the jail cell and nearly to the stair case before she was yanked back, the chain on her ankle holding her back.

"No, no, no, no!" Caroline sobbed, realizing the consequences to all of her actions. She had just had sex with a man she barely knew, a monster who had made her like him. He'd forced blood down her throat and she'd been stupid enough to let him fuck her afterwards. The worst part was he had fucked her in the same room as a dead body and Caroline hadn't even cared, she hadn't even noticed. So wrapped up in her own needs and desires, Caroline hadn't even cared that she'd just had sex with a man who had no problem ending someone's life right in front of her eyes. He was a vile creature but what did that make her?

Klaus looked at her with mixed emotions on his face before he grabbed the woman lying on the floor and moved her from the cell, taking her upstairs before returning to Caroline who had put her jeans back on and was sitting quietly on the ground outside of her cell.

Klaus moved forward as if trying to coax a wounded animal out of its hiding spot. Caroline rolled her eyes as more tears fell from them.

"Why wouldn't you let me just die? Why did your family even bring me here?"

"Because you are mine." Klaus said matter of fact.

"What does that even mean? You didn't even know me when your family bought me."

"I saw you."

"What?" Her breath hitched in her throat as she stared at him, surprised he was telling her anything at all. Perhaps he was wanting to share something with her, considering all she'd just shared with him.

"I saw you one day and I knew I wanted you." Caroline glanced at him in disbelief, even if a part of her was still encased in fear. "You're beautiful, strong, full of light. I fancied you from the moment I saw you."

"Then how could you do this to me?"

"It was simple, really. I wanted you and then one day the opportunity presented itself to make you mine. You belong to me." His words were soft, but his tone held a hint of menace.

"Seriously? I belong to myself. Besides, how could you ever think I would want to be with you knowing what you've done to me?" Caroline stood up, the shackle along her ankle really starting to piss her off. "Will you get this damn thing off of me?"

"Unfortunately, love, I cannot." Caroline's eyes narrowed at him, rage causing her fangs to descend as she stared at him with hatred in her eyes.

Klaus moved at a pace that Caroline couldn't follow, even now that she was turned. Before she realized what had happened, Klaus pushed her back into her cell, slamming the door shut and locking the cell back the way it had been before she'd been turned.

"No! Stop, what are you doing?" Caroline shouted, lunging at him and reaching a hand through the bars. She grabbed his shirt and tugged him to her, eyes a blaze of fury as she looked at the demon in front of her. "Please don't leave me down here, Klaus." The words, although they were meant to appease the immortal, came out harsh and angry, all of Caroline's emotions spiraling into a downward sense of uncontrollable rage.

"It's for your own good, Caroline." Klaus untangled her hand from his shirt effortlessly before stepping away from the cell and making his way towards the stairs. "I'll be around to feed you in a few hours, but until you learn to accept your new lifestyle, I'm afraid I won't be able to let you out."

"No, please don't leave me down here. I'll behave, I swear I will." Caroline begged and pleaded to no avail, the hybrid barely stopping to look at her from his vantage point on the stairs.

"I believe that when the opportunity presents itself, you will try to end your life. I can't have that, so until I believe you're stable enough, you're to stay down here, out of harms way." Klaus turned to leave, exiting the room even as Caroline shouted and cursed from her cell.

"I HATE YOU!" Caroline gripped the cell bars, pulling and tugging on them until she collapsed into a heap on the floor, sobbing. "I hate you. I hate you. I hate you." Caroline let go of the bars, rocking herself back and forth as the words became her own personal mantra. She repeated them over and over, hoping that if she said them enough then eventually her emotions would match the words echoing mournfully throughout the cellar.

Caroline wept for what felt like hours, hands pressing tightly to her head as the reality of her situation finally sank in. She'd become a vampire without her consent. She'd given her virginity to a being who seemed to only care about his own wellbeing, and she'd done that next to a dead body, uncaring that the man she'd had sex with had killed someone in front of her only moments before they'd embraced.

She was depraved. Sick.

A monster.

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Caroline awoke groggily, the sound of soft footsteps descending the stairs making her immediately alert. Caroline sat up from her cot, glaring at Klaus as he brought yet another woman over towards her cell. On impulse, the fangs in Caroline's mouth drew down until they nearly pierced her bottom lip.

"Go away." Caroline called out harshly, barely able to stomach the sight of Klaus or the woman by his side. Caroline couldn't explain why it happened, but an unnatural surge of jealousy ate at her. She was almost to the point of ripping the woman limb from limb until she inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly, trying her best to calm her breathing. Maybe it was a vampire thing, but Caroline had noticed her emotions were bouncing all over the place, moving from one extreme to the next until she almost couldn't breathe from all the emotions consuming her.

"Now, now, love. We won't be having any of that." Klaus stepped forward, unlocking the cell door before pushing the woman inside with him. It was obvious she'd been compelled, just like the last one. There wasn't any kind of emotion in her eyes; not fear, anger, sadness. The woman was hollow, almost as if she'd been dead for days, only her body remained behind.

"I'm not hungry." Caroline glared in his direction, keeping her eyes focused on him as opposed to the woman beside him. Her stomach growled loudly in protest, an action Caroline wished she had control over, especially when Klaus smirked in her direction, quickly dragging the woman closer than Caroline was comfortable. Anger flowed through her until Caroline could only see through a haze of red. She was already starving for a taste of blood, but Caroline knew she wasn't going to drink the blood from the woman in front of her. She didn't want to be a killer. She wouldn't be.

"You have two options, Caroline. Either drink from this human and spare her life..." Klaus moved the woman's hair away from her throat, exposing the artery to Caroline. "Or I'll have a go at her myself. We already know the outcome of that scenario. I win either way."

"I can't believe I ever cared about you. Why did I even think you were a good guy? You're sick." Caroline's words held all the venom she could muster, making sure she maintained eye contact as she insulted him. Did he think he could just leave her locked down in the basement for as long as he wanted and she would just be okay with it all? If anything, it made her hate him almost as much as she hated Damon Salvatore, and Caroline was fairly certain she would murder the Salvatore brother if she ever laid eyes upon him again.

"Your choice." Klaus's words held no emotion, which frightened Caroline more than his rage ever would. Of all the times she'd seen him angry or upset, she'd never been afraid. But seeing someone so powerful without any type of feeling? It was terrifying to witness.

Klaus grabbed the woman roughly around the neck, twisting his arms leisurely. The woman crumpled to the ground, her neck dangling from her body at an awkward angle.

Caroline screamed before she found herself wrapped up in Klaus's arms, one of his hands trapping her shrieks. "You should have fed, Caroline. This would all be so much easier if you would just cooperate."

Caroline sobbed softly, her tears falling over Klaus's hand as he held her. She wanted to shove him away from her, demand that he leave her alone forever, but Caroline craved the contact almost as much as she craved the blood pumping through his veins.

Listening to the pump and flow of blood in his body, Caroline's eyes turned black, the veins rushing along her skin as she stared at him.

Klaus dropped his hand from her mouth, careful to keep her body snugly pressed against his own.

"I'm hungry." The words barely passed through her lips, but Caroline knew Klaus could hear them just fine.

"Well love, unfortunately, your dinner is lying on the ground."

She gripped his shoulders, desperate for the blood in his veins. "What if you just let me feed from you?" The words were out of her mouth before she realized them, but Caroline found she liked her idea. If she didn't have to kill anybody and she could just feed from Klaus, maybe she could adjust to everything that was happening in her life.

Klaus stared down at Caroline, clearly torn by her question.

"I just don't want to hurt anyone and if I could just feed from you until I got control of myself, then maybe I could get used to being..." The sentence trailed off, Caroline unable to say the word 'vampire' allowed.

Klaus's eyes softened slightly as he pressed his hand to the back of her neck, urging her closer to his own. "Drink, love. I'll think about your request if you promise to be good until you're better." Caroline wanted to roll her eyes at his haughty tone but the blood beckoned her until all she felt was the hunger and all she knew how to do was sate it.

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UH OH, SPAGHETTIOS. Hopefully anyone who read this chapter enjoyed it! Please leave me reviews to let me know what you think about this dark development in the story

Much love!


	8. Chapter 8

**Thanks for all the reviews on the last chapter, even the criticism comment I got on the not so gentle sex scene between Klaus and Caroline. I understand that it might not have seemed like the right place to some, but generally a lot of my writing is done on instinct and to be honest, I felt that it would have happened like that between our characters. Not all stories involve suave romance, flowers and candy. Sometimes attraction between characters is dark and deep and I'm happy that most readers were able to understand where I was coming from, but if you were one of the few who didn't appreciate the last chapter, then I humbly apologize that you had to read it, but I'm still pleased with where this story is going and I have no regrets.**

**Now, on to the story!**

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Caroline was kept down in the basement for days, not that she minded too much after her first day of captivity. Her bloodlust had been harder to control than she'd anticipated, which she'd experienced firsthand with the two women Klaus had brought down for her to feed on. Sure, she'd hadn't actually killed either woman, but she'd wanted to drain them dry, to take away their compliance, their will and to feast until she was completely sated. Caroline had wanted drink her fill, uncaring of what happened to the women when she was done with them. Klaus had killed them both in the end, but Caroline felt disgusted with herself for preferring it that way. She wasn't sure how she would have felt taking innocent lives or taking their choices away, since the last few months of Caroline's life had been full of people ripping away her own rights and choices.

Much to Caroline's relief, Klaus hadn't brought down any more people in attempt to feed her. She wasn't sure how she would cope with more death if he'd continued bringing her 'take-out' and then killing her 'dinner' in front of her. Caroline shivered at the thought. Although Caroline had remained chained in the basement, Klaus had been more considerate of her needs since she'd asked him to feed her. She wasn't sure if he enjoyed her relying on him or the fact that she drank from him, maybe he relished both, but Klaus had made a point to see her several times a day, feeding her at least three times each day, ensuring her bloodlust was completely sated. Hell, he'd even brought down books and magazines for her to read over, even going so far as to bring his laptop down with a few of her favorite movies. They'd watched 'The Princess Bride' twice, which was Caroline's all time favorite movie. When Klaus had told Caroline he'd never seen it, she had been baffled and demanded they watch it twice in a row, the first time so he could get a feel for it and the second time so he could take time to appreciate it's greatness. The look on his face after the film finished a second time had said it all; he loved The Princess Bride almost as much as she had.

Caroline looked down at her freshly painted nails, grateful to Rebekah for painting them for her although Caroline found herself wishing she had a nail file on hand. Klaus had refused to give her any sharp objects, still slightly fearful that she would kill herself, but Caroline knew herself better than that. Sure, she'd been a little freaked out when she woke up as a new member of the living dead, but Caroline was a fighter. She'd been one since her parents died and she was forced to defend herself from her aunt and uncle on a daily basis. She'd survived years of torment all the while maintaining a high GPA, getting into a great college and keeping a full time job. Did he really assume she was going to throw all of her hard work away because of a little thing like vampirism? Puhlease. Caroline Forbes was too good for that kind of nonsense. At least now that she was more clearheaded about the future than she had been a few days ago when it seemed like there was no way out of the darkness surrounding her.

Caroline stood up from the loveseat that had been placed into her cell, stretching her limbs. They ached all the time from her constant sitting and Caroline couldn't wait until she could get out and explore everything, relearn everything now that she was different. Now that she was a vampire.

"I am a vampire." Caroline sounded the words aloud, tasting them on her tongue, almost as if the word 'vampire' was rolling around in her mouth. Days ago the word was like a vile curse, but now Caroline found herself experiencing a change of heart. Not all vampires were monsters, not all of them were evil and cruel, just most of the one's she'd personally encountered. But would a terrifying vampire have painted her nails? Caroline didn't think so and she was determined to be one of the better ones, hoping there was a larger number out there than she realized. There had to be, didn't there? Only time would tell.

Speaking of time, Caroline looked down at the plastic watch on her wrist, noting the time and day. Klaus wouldn't even give her a metal one with a glass face, fearing the worst no doubt. But looking at her little watch, Caroline knew she only had a few more days to enroll in the fall semester of school, something she was sure Klaus would freak out about. Caroline, however, was devious and was completely prepared to rebuff any of his excuses with perfectly fine reasons as to why it was perfectly acceptable for her to attend college. Not that he should have any say on that particular aspect of her life, but Caroline knew they had some sort of connection, no matter how the very idea set her on edge, but she wasn't going to deny that he felt he had some claim over her, some right to be with her too. And if Caroline was being honest with herself, she felt it too, even if she was reluctant to admit it. Anyway, if Klaus kept insisting she wasn't allowed to go, Caroline had one more trick up her sleeve. Obviously it was crying and groveling at his feet until he eventually caved in to her demands. It was going to be a piece of cake, right? Right.

Caroline heard the door opening from the top of the stairs, her whole body coming to life when moments ago she'd felt achy and weary. That's how she knew it was Klaus coming down the stairs and not Rebekah or Elijah. The two other siblings didn't make her feel the way he did, which was both annoying and absurd. She'd seen him KILL people right in front of her eyes, and yet she still felt undeniably drawn to him, almost as if she could forget any and all of his transgressions if only so she could be happy with him. It was really weird. Her heart was also doing this odd thing where it would speed up whenever Klaus was near, almost as if her entire being was anticipating his arrival. It was unsettling... And nothing she would ever mention to him, lest she want to deal with his enormous ego.

Klaus flashed down the stairs and to Caroline's cell, the cell door lingering open behind him.

"I still can't believe that you're too fast for me to see now that I'm a vampire. That's so unfair!" Klaus smirked, causing Caroline to shove his shoulder playfully, her own smirk forming as his shoulder rocked back slightly. She wasn't sure if it was just the blood or the fact that it was Klaus's blood, but Caroline was feeling incredibly strong the last few days, stronger than she should have been, considering how newly formed she was.

"Well love, when you reach a thousand years old you'll be faster as well."

"Yeah, but you'll still be too fast for my eyes to follow." Caroline grumbled, doing her best not to focus on the fact she assumed they'd still be hanging out in a thousand years. Caroline cleared her throat, ignoring the raised eyebrow of her companion before she spoke up. "Can I please get out of here now?" Klaus opened his mouth to answer, but Caroline hurried along her one sided conversation before he could shut her down. "I'm in desperate need of a shower and I promise I'm not planning anything nefarious to myself or others, but being down here all the time is driving me crazy. I just want to be out in the open, maybe enjoy some sunlight..." Caroline cast a confused look a Klaus. "You don't happen to have an extra daylight ring lying around, do you?" Klaus laughed aloud at the that, shaking his head slightly at her inquiry. "Well, that doesn't matter right now. But I promise I'll behave. Please can I come out, Klaus?" She cast her most pleading look in his direction, making sure her eyes were pitiful and sad.

Klaus laughed again before answering the blond temptress before him. "Love, had you let me speak up sooner, you would know that I've come to fetch you. You've done remarkably well the past few days and my siblings and I have come to the decision that you're ready to face your new life." Caroline shivered at the tone of his voice, her eyes following his every move almost as if she would never get enough of him, and maybe she wouldn't.

Before she knew it, the shackle attached to Caroline's ankle was removed, making her totally and completely free from her prison. Smiling to Klaus, Caroline used a burst of speed she'd been denied and flew up the stairs and out into the shed across from the mansion. She could see through a window that it was dark outside, allowing her to freely move around in the night without fear of the sun. Caroline smiled in relief, already flashing from the shed and into the outdoors.

Caroline didn't get nearly as far as she'd hoped, slamming into a powerful and well muscled chest, falling onto her butt from the force of the impact.

"Klaus!" Caroline shouted grumpily, mad at him for interfering in her freedom run. Klaus reached down with a hand and plucked the blond up from the ground, her sudden momentum colliding her chest into his. They stayed there for a moment before Caroline broke away, her cheeks stained red in embarrassment. After the first time they'd had sex, Caroline hadn't been that close to Klaus. Sure, she'd fed from him, but she'd made sure to keep the contact light, hoping it would distract her from her body's traitorous thoughts. Caroline just wasn't sure she was ready to have sex with Klaus again, if ever, and she didn't want him to assumed she was throwing herself at him, either.

"Relax, Caroline. I won't force you into anything you're not ready for, especially now that we're both in control of our actions." Caroline sneaked a peek at him before nodding shyly. She tried to step away, but Klaus still kept a hand locked with hers. "However, you do need to feed. Now before we begin the evening." Caroline felt her fangs throbbing dangerously at the thought of feeding from Klaus, but she looked to him in assurance before she made a move. "Shall we?" Klaus gently tugged the blond back to his side, tilting his head slightly to allow her plenty of room to feed.

The past few days Caroline had made little physical contact with the hybrid, only allowing her fangs to sink into his neck, nothing more. It must have been his assurances or the fact that she was free, but Caroline pressed herself fully against him, one arm wrapping around his waist while the other moved through his hair, bringing his head down to rest next to her neck as she sank her fangs deeply into his skin. Caroline pulled gently on his skin, savoring the blood that filled her mouth, but more importantly savoring the way his body felt pressed against hers. Caroline sighed to herself as his arms locked around her waist, bringing her even closer to his body, his strong arms making her feel safe and cherished. She shivered in delight as Klaus dipped his head, his fangs scraping against her neck, silently asking her permission to feed.

Not wasting any time, Caroline pushed his head closer to her neck with her hand, keeping his head there. Her feeding slowed as she waited in anticipation of his bite, wondering how it would feel now that her senses were heightened.

When his fangs sank into her neck, Caroline assumed it would have been painful at first, but the slow piercing of her skin had felt peaceful and erotic all at the same time. The rush of desire had her fangs lengthening even further inside of his skin even as she sucked harder, the pull of his blood the most exquisite thing she'd ever tasted. It should have felt odd, feeling him drink from her as she did the same to him, but it felt deeply intimate, even more intimate than the sex they'd shared several days before. Klaus gripped her tightly to him, his breathing almost as labored as her own as her desire began to heighten along with his own. It was almost as if they'd connected on another level entirely, almost as if they were one being, one entity that picked up where the other left off. It was alluring and alarming all at once and extremely personal.

All too soon Caroline broke away, sighing whenever Klaus stopped feeding almost immediately afterward. They remained locked in an embrace, Klaus resting his forehead along Caroline's.

"Is it always like that when two vampires feed off one another?"

She noticed the small smile on Klaus's face for an instant before it was gone, almost as if it had never been.

"I'm not sure, love. This was the first time I've ever shared in such an act. I've heard it could be intimate with the right partner, I just never expected it to feel so encompassing." Klaus kissed her forehead before pulling away but still keeping hold of her hand, their fingers locked together. Caroline wanted to laugh at the direction her life was taking. Who knew she'd be holding hands with a one thousand year old creature? Not her. "Be sure to never let another werewolf bite you, Caroline. If by some twist of fate it does occur, seek me out at once. Only my blood will heal you."

"What happens if I don't find you in time?" She'd never heard about a werewolf bite in any of the journals her family had passed down, but from the look on Klaus's face, it wasn't a good thing.

"After the hallucinations set in, you die." Caroline grabbed her neck with her free hand, shooting Klaus a horrified look. The hybrid laughed at her, squeezing the hand he held captured in his. "Worry not, love. You've had plenty of blood in my system to fend off the venom in my bite. You didn't feel any pain, did you?" Caroline blushed furiously before shaking her head, mostly at herself. Klaus laughed, picking up his pace as they made it to the mansion. "Precisely. My blood in your veins is a natural deterrent to the venom in any werewolf bite."

"Well that's a relief to know."

"Hm." Klaus replied, but his attention was focused on the mansion, or better yet, what was happening inside the mansion. "Come, it seems our dear Rebekah is aggravated over something or another. Best see what has her delicate nature so offended." Caroline snorted at Klaus's joke, more than happy to follow him inside the mansion. She was just happy to finally be free.

* * *

"I can't believe he broke up with me!" Rebekah practically wailed to Elijah. The sound was enough to have Caroline covering her ears with her hands, squinting at the onslaught to her ears.

"What I find hard to believe is that he's only nineteen years old and you're so broken up about his obvious departure from your life." Klaus laughed merrily, handing a glass of scotch to Elijah. Caroline eyed the beverage, wishing she had a glass as well. She had a feeling it was the only way to deal with Rebekah when she was in a mood like the current one.

Rebekah swung around to face Klaus, rage etched all over her face and practically vibrating out of her body. "Oh you're one to talk, Nik. You nearly went on a homicidal rampage when you thought Caroline was dead and especially when you thought she was going to hate you forever because you failed to save her life."

"Enough, Rebekah." Klaus warned, his shoulders stiffened and his stance threateningly.

"Don't you dare patronize me, Nik. You've got it just as bad, if not worse than I do for Matt."

Caroline interrupted the feuding duo from her safe haven of the couch. "Well did he say why he broke up with you?"

Rebekah's eyes filled with tears and she nodded. "Because that stupid twit Elena told him I was a vampire and he said he couldn't be with someone like me." Rebekah wailed out the last of the sentence, tears falling down her face.

"Oh heaven," called out Elijah, nearly rolling his eyes at the display in front of them all.

"It was just as well. I would have hated to kill the quarterback for being unworthy of you and it seems he's saved himself and me the trouble of doing so." Klaus clinked his glass with the exasperated Elijah's taking a strong sip as Caroline glared at him.

"You wouldn't have killed Matt." She said, matter of fact. Klaus raised an eyebrow at her as he set his glass down on a coaster, turning to give her his full attention.

"I wouldn't have?"

"No." Caroline said, completely assure of her answer.

"And what makes you think that?"

"Because I don't think I could ever forgive you if you killed Matt." The silence that followed was deafening. A few seconds trickled by and Rebekah burst into laughter, pouring herself a glass of scotch before sitting back in one of the chairs around the living room, chuckling to herself.

"She's got you there, brother." Caroline looked to the other blond, noting the way her shoulders sagged slightly at the news, almost as if in relief.

"Anyways," Caroline cleared her throat and looked to the moping Rebekah. "If Matt is going to be that shallow, then he doesn't deserve to be with you. Give him a few days though," Caroline continued. "Maybe he just needs to wrap his head around everything."

"Do you really think so?" Caroline smiled at Rebekah.

"I'm not one hundred percent sure, but he's a great guy and I could tell at the ball how much he cares for you. I don't think he's going to let something like you being a billion years old stand in his way."

Klaus sat down next to Caroline, although she did her best to ignore him incase he was mad at her for speaking out against him.

"You really need to adjust your perception of time now that you're a vampire."

Speaking of time...

Caroline cleared her throat, turning to face Klaus. "I actually need to talk to you about something and I want you to have an open mind about this."

"I can assure you, Caroline. Klaus is open to any and all kinds of sex." Rebekah blurted before taking another drink of her scotch. Caroline did her best to ignore the other blond, but she still felt a small blush creep into her cheeks.

"Ignore Rebekah, love. She's just simpering like a love sick fool. It will pass, it always does." Rebekah pouted but remained silent, glaring daggers into Klaus's side. "What did you need to ask?"

Caroline cleared her throat again, unsure of how to start. "Well... I really need to enroll in the fall semester of college and I was hoping you wouldn't mind, not that I'm asking your permission, because I'm a grown woman and if I want to attend college then I will, but I just needed to make sure it was fine with you and everyone if my time is divided there for a while until I get my degree."

Klaus said nothing, his eyes narrowing the only sign of his disapproval.

"Do you think it is wise to be around so many humans so soon after your change?" Elijah asked curiously. Caroline's shoulders straightened at the question. She would take mild curiosity over disapproval any day of the week.

"Well I need to integrate into a human type society as soon as possible and that's what's great about college. If my urges start to take over during a class, I can just get up and leave it and no one would be the wiser. College kids do it all the time, so it's not like anyone would find it out of the ordinary." Elijah mused over her comment before responding.

"Would you still be here at the mansion or would you attempt to live on campus?" Klaus stiffened beside her but remained silent.

"I planned on staying here with you all. I know I'm still supposed to be at your disposal and I still plan on doing that. At least until my contract would have expired if I'd remained human, so like sixty more years or so?" She felt Klaus's body sag in relief.

"Well then, I don't see why it would be a burden for you to continue your education, we will even pay for all of your schooling needs." Elijah stated, pouring himself another drink as Rebekah nodded in agreement.

"Oh no, you don't have to do that." Caroline said weakly, hoping they didn't think she was asking them for money.

"Now, dear Caroline, I'm afraid we must insist. After all, you were made into a vampire because of our enemies, it is the least the three of us can do. Paying for your education on top of your normal salary is a small price to pave the way to forgiveness."

"It wasn't anyone's fault in this house that I died. I don't blame anyone."

"Well then consider it a gift then. A way of us welcoming you into the family, Caroline." Elijah smiled slightly before excusing himself from the room, Rebekah following shortly after.

"I don't know what to say." Caroline muttered to herself. Klaus leaned in to her, whispering in her ear.

"Don't say anything, love. Let us take care of you."

"But isn't that supposed to be my job?"

"You heard Elijah, love." Klaus smirked. "You're family and family looks after one another."

Caroline was too baffled to respond, so she said nothing.

* * *

"Okay, what all is on your little list of things?" Rebekah asked Caroline as the two wandered around Target a few days later. It was in the early evening, seeing as how Caroline still didn't have a daylight ring and needed to avoid the sun.

"Um, I need some notebook paper, a few binders, dividers for each of the binders, lots of different colored post its all of different sizes, a calculator, a backpack, a whole lot of sharpies and notecards, highlighters, pens, pencils, a stapler, a printer and hopefully a new laptop, seeing as how I've never had one and it's definitely something one needs for college."

"My God. All of that is required for schooling? Bloody hell." Rebekah walked towards the shoes, ignoring Caroline as she huffed at their deviated course. This was the third time since they had entered the store that Rebekah had wandered away from the appropriate direction. It was starting to drive Caroline, aka the neurotic control freak, a little crazy.

"Come on Rebekah, we're almost to the school supply aisle." Rebekah sighed and followed after the baby vampire. "And yes," Caroline continued. "I do need all of that for my classes. Some people might not, but I definitely enjoy being organized."

"I can tell. I didn't think it extended to shopping trips though, which is a bit irritating."

"Well, when you can only come to Target an hour before it closes because you don't want to fry your skin due to the sunlight, then yes, it can get a bit irritating."

Caroline grabbed an abandoned shopping cart and ten minutes later almost everything was on their list, even a few extra backpacks in various colors because Rebekah insisted she matched, otherwise what was the bloody point in going to college anyway?

Currently the two women were stopped in front of the electronic department, Caroline eyeing the various laptops with varying looks of unease.

"Oh, grab the Macbook Pro." Rebekah lifted the box, placing it into Caroline's cart.

"Oh no. I can't afford that." Caroline picked up the box, setting it back down on the shelf.

"You do realize we have been paying you $10,000 a month, right?" Caroline's jaw dropped in disbelief. Rebekah smirked, a signature Klaus look as she stared at the young blond. "So you should have around $30,000 sitting in your bank account as we speak. Are you positive you can't afford a new laptop?" At Caroline's silence Rebekah set the laptop back into the cart, throwing in an apple wireless mouse, a Word document installer as well as a few nice cases for her new laptop. "Chop, chop. This godforsaken place closes in a few minutes and I can't be in here a moment after. This place practically reeks of poor people."

Caroline rolled her eyes, pushing the cart after Rebekah. "If you think this is poor, I don't even want to know what you'll say when you walk into a Walmart."

"Bite your tongue, Caroline." Rebekah called over her shoulder, speeding up until Caroline barely caught sight of her over by the check out registers. Rebekah had a pep in her step and her mood had obviously improved since Matt had dumped her. Suspiciously so... In fact, it was such a change of behavior, Caroline was willing to bet a certain quarterback had decided against ending their relationship.

Rebekah's phone went off and the Original looked down at her screen, smiling slightly to herself before replying the obvious text message. Caroline smiled slightly, happy to know her conclusion was dead on.

* * *

**Two updates in one week?! My oh my, I must really like you guys :P Please feel free to let me know what you thought of this last chapter and I hope you can either review/fav/follow my story!**

**Much love.**


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